Chapter 13 - The Desperate CallBy Wednesday afternoon, Daniel had exhausted every single ally he thought he had. Through a legally sanctioned, monitored prisoner phone call allowed during his pre-trial detention, he managed to route a call directly to my executive line.
The private desk phone blinked red. I let it ring twice before pressing the speaker button.
“Natalie?” Daniel’s voice sounded thin, cracked, and desperate, entirely stripped of the arrogant polish he had worn like armor for a decade.
“This is Ms. Hayes, Daniel,” I corrected coldly, not even looking up from my tablet. “You have reached the corporate office of Aegis Infrastructure. All communications must go through legal counsel.”
“Nat... please, just listen,” he choked out, a pathetic sob catching in his throat. “I’m facing twelve years in federal prison. They seized everything—my clothes, my car, my bank accounts, even my watch. I have nothing left. Can’t we settle this privately? Drop the civil suits. Tell the prosecutors it was a misunderstanding.”
I leaned back in my leather chair, crossing my arms as a cold, bitter memory surfaced of him gripping my wrist at his birthday party while Rachel laughed in the background.
“You told me I was embarrassing you because I tried to cut your birthday cake,” I said quietly, the memory sharpening every word. “You told me you didn't ask me to plan your life, your party, or your success. You made your bed, Daniel. Now lie in it.”
“I was an idiot! I was panicked!” he cried out.
May you like
“No, Daniel, you were cruel. And now you’re paying the price for the empire you tried to steal.”
I reached out and pressed the disconnect button, severing his voice from my office forever.
