Chapter 5 - Cold Demands
Z
The Grandview Country Club was an opulent estate nestled in the rolling hills of the suburban countryside, characterized by manicured lawns, white marble pillars, and crystal chandeliers. It was the crown jewel of Genesis’s social life—the place where she pretended to be an heiress of refined taste, spending money she didn't have to maintain an illusion of nobility.
I walked through the double glass doors of the main dining room, dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that stood in stark contrast to the pastel sundresses and bright linen worn by the luncheon guests.
The room was filled with the soft clinking of mimosa glasses and polite laughter. Genesis was seated at the head table near the grand window, holding court with six other prominent local women. She was laughing theatrically, recounting a story with dramatic hand gestures.
I didn't rush. I walked with a measured, deliberate pace straight toward her table.
As I approached, one of the women at the table noticed me first, her smile fading as she took in my intense, cold expression. Genesis turned her head to see what her friend was looking at.
When her eyes landed on me, her initial shock lasted only a split second before her face hardened into an expression of pure disdain.
"Elena?" Genesis sneered, lowering her wine glass. "What on earth are you doing here? Did Jackson not tell you that this is a private board event? You can't just wander in here dressed like you're attending a funeral."
"I am attending a funeral," I said, my voice carrying clearly across the quieted table. "The funeral of your reputation."
The other women at the table gasped softly, whispering among themselves. Genesis’s cheeks flushed a bright, mottled red.
"How dare you!" Genesis hissed, pushing her chair back and standing up to face me. "You insolent, ungrateful little girl! After the way you behaved at my dinner table last night, you have the audacity to track me down here? You are a embarrassment to my son and to our family!"
"Your son is currently standing in my hallway under the supervision of two police officers, packing his clothes into trash bags," I replied loudly enough for the neighboring tables to hear.
Genesis froze. The color instantly drained from her face, leaving her pale beneath her heavy makeup. "What... what did you say?"
"I had him served with a restraining order and a petition for annulment," I continued, stepping closer so only her table could hear the precise details. "And at ten o'clock this morning, my attorney filed criminal fraud charges against you, Jackson, and your paralegal friend Julianna Cruz for forging my signature on a secondary mortgage application."
"You're lying!" Genesis spat, though her hands began to tremble as she reached for her purse on the table. "You can't do that! That property belongs to the family! Jackson has a right to—"
"Jackson has a right to nothing," I interrupted, my tone icy and absolute. "The property is held in an irrevocable military trust created by my late father. Neither you nor Jackson ever owned a single brick of it. And thanks to your desperate attempt to steal it to pay off your debts to Apex Holdings, the authorities are now auditing every single account associated with your name."
The name Apex Holdings hit her like a physical blow. Genesis staggered back slightly, clutching the edge of the table to steady herself. The arrogant facade she had worn for years cracked entirely, revealing the panicked, desperate woman underneath.
"You... you don't know what you've done," Genesis whispered, her voice finally breaking into a pathetic tremor. "You don't know who those people are, Elena! They will ruin us! They will take everything!"
"They are taking your everything, Genesis," I said leaning in close, my eyes locked onto hers. "Not mine. You tried to throw me into the fire to save yourself. Instead, you just walked right into it alone."
I turned on my heel and began walking toward the exit.
"Elena! Wait!" Genesis shrieked, running after me in her high heels, abandoning all decorum in front of her high-society peers. "Elena, please! You have to help us! Jackson loves you! He was only doing what I told him to do! Don't destroy his life over a mistake!"
I stopped at the doorway and looked back at her over my shoulder.
May you like
"It wasn't a mistake, Genesis," I said flatly. "It was a tactical error. And in my line of work, tactical errors have consequences."
I stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight, leaving Genesis crying hysterically in the middle of the country club lobby.
