Chapter 254
Morning light cut across Adam desk. Thomas stood nearby, tablet hand, his face tight as he delivered the news.
“Nathan hired some big shot lawyer,” he said, swiping through files. They’re pushing for two years with three years‘ probation” His mouth tightened. “She behaves during that time, she walks early.”
Adam’s fingers stopped tapping. His eyes drifted toward the window where Irene’s house was just visible through the trees.
“And the victim?” he asked, voice cool.
Thomas shook his head. “The Montgomerys are running out of money. Can’t afford to keep fighting–regular family going up against Sterling money.” He shrugged. “Game over.”
Something cold flickered in Adam’s eyes. “I don’t want Anna having any chance of coming back. Each word dropped like ice. “Not
ever.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Send Lewis.”
Thomas’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? That’s like bringing a tank to a fistfight.‘
The Sterlings think they have pull?” A hint of a smile touched Adam’s lips. “Let’s fix that idea.”
Brandon froze outside the half–open door, catching every word. For a second, something like doubt passed over his face–Anna was technically family. The feeling vanished quickly.
She did this to herself, he thought, backing away quietly. Framed her own sister. Ruined some poor student’s life just because she could.
If Adam wanted to make sure Anna got what she deserved, Brandon wasn’t going to stop him.
The next day, Nathan sat staring at his silent phone, still taking in what his legal team had just told him. It had only taken a day for
everything to fall apart.
Attorney Gerald Lewis–Haven’s top gun–had personally taken the Montgomery case. Anna’s easy plea deal had vanished overnight.
“So Haven’s in the game now,” he muttered, setting his phone down carefully.
Lewis never moved without Adam’s direct order. Which meant Adam had personally decided to crush Anna. The question was why- what did Haven care about a Sterling family problem?
This isn’t about the Sterlings, a voice whispered in his head. It’s about Irene.
The pieces clicked. The way Adam looked at Irene when he thought no one was watching. Haven didn’t fight other people’s battles without good reason.
“Sir?” His assistant’s voice pulled him back. “What should I tell the team?
Nathan gazed out the window. They could fight, but going against Haven was like trying to stop a train with your hands–especially
over someone like Anna.
“Tell them we’re done,” he said finally. “We’ve hit a wall.”
The detention center smelled like cheap cleaner and sadness. Nathan sat straight–backed, watching Anna walk in.
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Her fancy clothes were gone, placed by plain belge. Her hair once perfect hung limp around her thin fare. But when she saw him, her face lit up with such hope that Nathan felt a knot in his chest.
“I tried everything, he started, eeping his voice low. “But things have changed.
Her smile froze, then cracked. “Changed how?”
The Montgomerys hired Lewis. He watched understanding dawn in her eyes. “Court’s gone back to the original judgment.
The color drained from Anna’s face. For several seconds, she just stared, mouth open but silent. Then something broke behind her eyes.
“That’s crap!” The words burst from her. “You just don’t want to help me! Because I’m not your real sister, right?”
Anna-”
“You’ve all fallen for her act!” Her fingers dug into the table edge. “Because of some stupid DNA test? I’m the one who grew up with you!”
Nathan watched her fall apart, barely recognizing the woman across from him. This angry, wild–eyed person wasn’t the girl who’d once followed him around the house, asking endless questions about his day.
“I’ll make sure no one bothers you inside,” he offered weakly. “You’ll be safe.”
“Safe?” Anna’s laugh was harsh and ugly. “Don’t talk down to me! I’m perfectly calm!” Her eyes burned with anger. “Why does she get everything? I was the Sterling daughter! If that woman hadn’t come back, none of this would’ve happened!”
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “She deserves to die for what she’s done to me.”
The pure hate in her voice made Nathan pull back without thinking. The sister he’d known was gone–this was someone else wearing her face.
“You’re beyond help,” he said quietly, standing up. “I’ll check on you when I can.”
He walked away, her screams following him down the hallway. Each curse thrown at Irene only proved he’d made the right choice.
Bright sunshine seemed wrong on sentencing day. Richard stood outside the courthouse, fixing his already perfect tie, wasting time before finally making himself go inside.
In a stark waiting room, Anna sat still, the bright lights glinting off her handcuffs. The panic from weeks earlier had hardened into something cold. She stared out the window, barely noticing when Richard came in.
“Anna.” No warmth in his voice.
When she didn’t respond, he sat across from her, stiff and formal. “I’ll get right to it. Vein Corporation is ending our engagement.”
That got her attention. Her head snapped toward him, eyes suddenly focused.
“A woman with your…” he paused, searching for words, “…problems is obviously not right for our family.”
Anna stared at the man she’d once tried so hard to please. The man she’d given up everything for. Her face changed, lips curling into something that only looked like a smile if you didn’t look closely.
“When I get out,” she whispered, “I’ll make every single one of you pay.”
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Each word carried such promise that Richard’s mask slipped for a moment–perhaps remembering the eager, ambitious girl she’d once been. Then coldness too over again. Without another word, he stood and left, leaving Anna alone with nothing but anger for
company.
Outside the courthouse, Samantha leaned against her car, checking her phone with practiced boredom. A message popped up: Anna Claire: Full Sentence Confirmed.
She slipped the phone into her purse, tapping her nails against the window while a smile played at her lips.
“Dead end,” she murmured. “Time to try something new.”
Her eyes drifted toward Haven Tower shining in the distance, a sharp edge creeping into her smile.
“Let Sophia and her new pet make the first move,” she said under her breath. “Good things come to those who wait.”
She slid into the backseat gracefully. “Royal Heights, please,” she told her driver, already planning her next move.
The car pulled away smoothly, leaving the courthouse behind. Inside, Samantha’s eyes turned cold and calculating as she spun her web–each thread carefully placed to catch both Irene and Adam when the time was right.
Some hunts needed patience. And Samantha Wright knew exactly how to wait.
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