Chapter 65
Chapter 65: The Surrender in Midtown
The settlement meeting took place at Marcus Thorne’s old firm in Midtown. Elena Thorne sat alone at the end of the long conference table, her laptop closed, looking completely drained. The supreme confidence she had displayed at City Hall had completely vanished.
Anna walked in, accompanied by Marcus and me. She didn't sit down; she stood at the head of the table, looking down at the woman who had tried to weaponize our past against us.
"You underestimated us, Elena," Anna said, her voice dropping to that dangerous, low register that always reminded me of the night I confronted Robert on my porch. "You thought because you knew the legal history of my family, you could use it to scare me into dropping the bid. But you forgot that the history you read in those files is the history of how we won."
Elena swallowed hard, her hands clasped tightly on the table. "Vanguard’s board is terrified of the public relations fallout, Anna. The city council has already hinted that our current contracts might be reviewed if the defamation suit goes to trial. What do you want?"
Anna slid a single piece of paper across the mahogany wood. "A formal, public withdrawal of Vanguard’s proposal for the Hudson River Pavilion, citing 'strategic real estate reallocation.' And a signed admission that the articles published regarding my firm's finances were entirely fabricated."
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Elena looked at the paper for a long time. She picked up her pen, her fingers slightly unsteadiness, and signed her name. "My father always said you were the most formidable client he ever had, Claire," she whispered, looking up at me.
"He was right," I said coldly. "And he raised you to know better than to protect a pack of corporate wolves."
