Chapter 5 - The Confrontation
I slammed my hand on the table, attracting the attention of the sleepy cook behind the counter. "I will die before I let them touch a single hair on her head!"
"Then you need to strike first," Dr. Reed said calmly. "Victoria Sterling’s weakness is publicity. Vanguard operates in the dark because their board of directors consists of politicians, judges, and high-ranking pharmaceutical executives. If the public finds out that Vanguard is breeding children for biological harvesting under the guise of fertility assistance, the entire foundation will crumble."
"How do I prove it?" I asked, gripping the manila folder.
"Inside that envelope are the original, unedited DNA profiles, the original contract signed by Caleb, and bank statements showing Vanguard's direct payments to Caleb’s offshore account three days after Nora was born."
My jaw dropped. "He already got paid?"
"Half a million dollars as an initial deposit," Evelyn said grimly. "The remaining two and a half million was due upon delivery of the child."
I took a deep breath, the burning anger inside me transforming into cold, sharp determination. "Where is Caleb now?"
"He's staying at the Sterling estate in Rhode Island, begging Victoria to let him keep a portion of the money after he panicked and ruined the smooth transition," Evelyn revealed. "He’s desperate, Clara. And desperate men make mistakes."
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Ten minutes later, I walked out of the diner and got back into my dad's truck. I looked at him, my eyes blazing with a fury he had never seen in me before.
"We aren't hiding anymore, Dad," I said, opening the folder. "We're going to Rhode Island."
