Chapter 5 - THE ALLY IN THE SHADOWSThe next morning, Manhattan legal circles were buzzing. But not about the Caruso anniversary gala.
By 8:00 AM, confidential document packages containing the digital metadata proofs of my original sketches had already been delivered to three major fashion journalism outlets, alongside a preliminary copyright infringement notice filed through one of the most ruthless divorce attorneys in the city.
I sat across a mahogany conference table in a sleek midtown office overlooking Central Park.
Across from me sat Alexander Vance—senior partner at Vance & Sterling, a man legendary for destroying high-society dynasties in bitter corporate and marital dissolutions. Alexander wore a sharp bespoke suit, his silver-streaked hair neat, and a pair of reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he reviewed the flash drive data I had downloaded from Dominic’s study.
He lowered the papers and looked at me with genuine respect.
"Mrs. Caruso," Alexander said slowly, a slight grin touching his lips. "When your assistant called this morning saying you wanted to file for divorce and sue your husband's corporation for intellectual property theft, I expected a messy, emotional battle. Instead, you hand me a silver platter containing a complete corporate decapitation."
"I don't want a messy battle, Mr. Vance," I said evenly, sipping my black coffee. "I want a clean, absolute destruction of their professional credibility, full custody of my son, and fifty percent of every asset Dominic owns—including Caruso Design Group."
"It's entirely doable," Alexander replied, tapping a pen against the desk. "Especially given that the metadata on these digital files proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Vanessa Moretti registered your designs under her name while you were legally married, utilizing marital property and corporate servers to execute fraud."
May you like
He paused, leaning forward. "There is just one problem. Dominic Caruso has deep political ties in New York. Rumor has it he’s already positioning himself to buy out his primary investors to block any hostile actions. If we strike too slowly, he will bury this in arbitration."
"Then we don't give him time to breathe," I replied instantly. "Tomorrow night is the pre-show charity auction for the winter collection. Vanessa is scheduled to walk the runway as the guest of honor. That's where we execute phase two."
Related Stories
