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Chapter 7
“Helped him out?“[]
Emma’s head snapped up, eyes wide as saucers, staring at me.
“Claire! It was YOU! You snitched on me, you BITCH! I knew you were up to something! You’re jealous as hell! You can’t stand me winning! I’ll come back and haunt your ass!”
She was screaming like a psycho, cursing nonstop.
“SHUT UP!“]
Sterling’s guy snapped, then turned to Emma, voice cold as ice]
Think
“Think Sterling just wanted any baby? He only wanted a kid with Miss Sophia! That was their last chance and you RUINED it! Sterling’s never gonna forgive you!”
“Sophia…”
Emma whispered the name, going white as a sheet.
She knew that name.]
Everyone who worked for Sterling knew Sophia.
Her picture sat on his desk.
His phone wallpaper was Sophia.
Hell, all his work passwords were her birthday.
I used to gossip with Emma about company rumors.[]
I’d say Sophia had to be Sterling’s unreachable dream girl.
But Emma just rolled her eyes.[]
“Dream girl iny ass? Men don’t have real feelings. They just want what the
can’t have.”
“That Sophia chick? Probably Sterling’s sister or some maid’s daughter. The Sterlings have a housekeeper named Wilson.”
“Quit spreading gossip at work. It’s all bullshit anyway. You think Sterling’s gonna tell some outsider like you the real deal?”
And now?
finally got it–what she stole wasn’t her ticket to the good life. It was her death sentence.]
“No… no way…“]
She suddenly grabbed onto her last hope, banging her head on the ground in front of Sterling’s guys.[]
“I’ll have the baby! I’ll be super careful, and once it’s
horn I’ll disappear forever! You’ll never see me again! The kid’s all yours!”
But Sterling’s people didn’t budge. They nodded for the cops to take her.
“Dad! Mom! SAVE ME! I don’t wanna go to prison!“]
Emma screamed as the cops dragged her away.
Mom and Dad just sat there watching their daughter get arrested, too shocked to even beg properly.[]
Sterling’s guy respectfully gestured toward the car:[]
“Miss Parker, Mr. Sterling’s waiting for you at the villa.”
grabbed my suitcase off the ground and followed him into the Maybach without looking back.]
Inside was dead quiet–total opposite of the chaos outside.
Half an hour later, we pulled up to this heavily guarded mansion.[]
Sterling was already waiting in the living room. He looked more tired than at the hospital, but his eyes were still sharp as hell.]
“Miss Parker, thanks for yesterday’s tip.”
Straight to the point.
“If you hadn’t warned me, Sophia and I would’ve been totally screwed.
“No big deal.”
I kept it short–didn’t want to get too involved with this guy.
Sterling studied me, seemed surprised I was so calm:
“What do you want? Whatever I can do, just say it.”
gonna
I wasn’t gonna play modest:]
“I need five hundred grand.”
“Got a debt to pay.”
Sterling paused, then chuckled:
“Sure, no problem.‘(]
He grabbed a pen and quickly wrote out a check, handing it to me. “PIN’s your birthday.“]
I glanced at the check–amount was right–and pocketed 1:]
“Thanks, Sterling “I
“I should be thanking you.”
Sterling stood up. “Need a ride somewhere?“]
“Nah, I’m good.”
I shook my head and left the mansion with the check.
