Chapter 7 - THE FIRST PUBLIC CRACK
The first newspaper article appeared on a Thursday morning.
VOSS EMPIRE FACES QUESTIONS OVER SMALL BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS.
The second article followed two hours later.
FORMER EMPLOYEES ALLEGE PRESSURE CAMPAIGNS AGAINST PROPERTY OWNERS.
By evening, the story had spread across Las Vegas.
Sterling's board called an emergency meeting.
His legal team demanded silence.
Investors wanted reassurance.
And Marcus Hale stood in Sterling's office with a warning.
“Sir, you're destroying the company.”
Sterling looked at him.
“Maybe the company needs to change.”
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“The board won't allow it.”
Sterling turned.
“Then the board can answer questions under oath.”
Marlo watched the coverage from Gabriel's studio.
For the first time, Ruth's name appeared in a newspaper without the word fraud beside it.
Instead, the headline read:
LATE BAKERY OWNER MAY HAVE BEEN TARGETED IN REAL ESTATE CAMPAIGN.
Marlo stared.
Gabriel placed a cup of coffee beside her.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
Then shook her head.
“I don't know.”
He sat beside her.
“You waited a long time for this.”
Marlo looked at the article.
“Yes.”
“Does it feel good?”
She thought about it.
“No.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Justice usually doesn't feel the way we imagine.”
Celeste called that evening.
“Sterling's talking.”
Marlo nodded.
“I know.”
“Do you trust him?”
“No.”
Celeste was silent.
Then whispered:
“Neither do I.”
Marlo frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he's still protecting someone.”
“Who?”
Celeste hesitated.
“Our father.”
Marlo stared.
“But Victor Voss is dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then what is Sterling protecting?”
Celeste's voice hardened.
“The story of how he died.”
Victor Voss had supposedly died of a heart attack.
The family announced it.
The newspapers reported it.
The company mourned.
But Celeste claimed something else happened.
She said Victor died during an argument with Sterling.
An argument about her.
Marlo felt cold.
“Are you saying Sterling killed him?”
Celeste hesitated.
“I don't know.”
“Then why bring it up?”
“Because the truth matters.”
Marlo stared.
“Celeste, what exactly happened?”
A long silence.
Then:
“I was there.”
Celeste explained that she'd confronted her father seven years earlier.
She demanded he publicly acknowledge her.
Victor refused.
Sterling intervened.
The argument became violent.
Victor collapsed.
An ambulance was called.
But the official report omitted the confrontation.
The company announced a heart attack.
Celeste disappeared soon afterward.
Marlo stared.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?”
Celeste's voice broke.
“Because I thought Sterling had pushed him.”
“Did he?”
“I don't know.”
Marlo closed her eyes.
“Then we need to find out.”
That night, Marlo confronted Sterling.
He listened.
Then sat slowly.
“Celeste told you about my father.”
“Yes.”
Sterling looked exhausted.
“What happened?”
He stared at his hands.
“My father grabbed her.”
Marlo remained silent.
“He was furious she'd refused to wear makeup.”
Sterling's voice tightened.
“I pulled him away.”
“Then?”
“He fell.”
Marlo stared.
“Did he hit his head?”
“Yes.”
“Did you call an ambulance?”
“Immediately.”
“Why hide it?”
Sterling looked up.
“Because the board told me it would destroy the company.”
Marlo shook her head.
“You let them bury the truth.”
“Yes.”
“Again.”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Marlo stood.
“Sterling, you keep saying you wanted to protect Celeste.”
He looked at her.
“But every time you had to choose between her and the empire, you chose the empire.”
His face crumpled.
Marlo turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
“There's still time to choose differently.”
Sterling looked up.
“How?”
May you like
She met his eyes.
“Stop protecting the lie.”
