Chapter 61: Chapter 61

CHAPTER 18

Natalie's POV

"Hello, mom?" I inquire uncomfortably.

"Is this a dream? Natalie?"

"Yes, it's me. Don't be dramatic, mother."

"Uh! You never call me, you never send me money on time— I'm only surprised you remembered you have a mother."

"I'll send you half a million in a few. Get a nice dress. I'll accompany you to that party." I inform her. I'd remembered that she'd mentioned something about a party being hosted by the Robinsons. This was an opportunity I couldn't miss.

She gasps. She's about to speak, but I stop her. "That is all. Text me the date, time, and location. I'll be there." I say and hang up. I'd left Lydia and Louis and retired to my bedroom to prepare for the court hearing in an hour. I had to dress up and get prepared.

My phone beeps. It's Jennifer, she's in the building. I respond, informing her that my house is the penthouse. I quickly rush to my cupboard and put on a white skirt suit and white blazer. I hear the doorbell. Ashley would get the door. I go to my vanity mirror and apply another coat of red lipstick. My hair is still laid and neat, so I don't bother with it.

There's a knock on my door. "Come in." It's Ashley .

"There's a lady looking for you. Her name's Jennifer."

"Yes. Send her to the study." I say as I exit the room, heading for my study.

***

"Here." I say, handing over the envelope to Jennifer.

"Can I open it?" She asks.

"Of course. I wouldn't be asking you to leak it if I didn't know you'd see it." I respond, and watch her as she begins to open the envelope. She gasps. She looks up at me. I look away.

"Ma'am, this is. . .”

"Release it. Now. I don't care how you do it, but it must be made public in the next hour. Ensure it's untraceable. Nobody must know you leaked it."

She nods, shock still obvious on her face. "Yes, ma'am."

***

We are seated in court, Luke is about to take the stand. He swears his oath, all whilst looking at me.

His Lawyer begins, "Mr. Carrington, how do you know Ms. Richardson? How did you first meet?"

Luke answers, "In her home. Her mother had made a deal with me. They were bankrupt so her mother struck a deal with me that she'd give Natalie's hand in marriage if I saved them from bankruptcy. I agreed."

"Did Natalie know about this deal?"

"Of course. She was well aware."

The lawyer laughs out loud, "So, Ms. Richardson can in fact do anything for money?"

"Objection!" Jean-Ann counters.

"Sustained. Defense, please, be careful. Watch your words." Judge Lahey warns. I scoff.

"My apologies. Mr. Carrington, what ultimately ended your marriage with Ms. Carrington?"

"She was having an affair with another man, whilst under my roof. She was sleeping with the both of us." Luke answers, and I shiver in anger and disgust.

“So, we can say that Ms. Richardson has very bad characters, I.e lying, manipulating and cheating, right?”

“Objection!” Jean-Anne barks.

“Last warning, defense. You may proceed.”

"I beg your forgiveness, your Honor. So, Mr. Carrington, did she drink often?"

"Yes, she did occasionally.”

“I’m sorry but I have to ask, how was your sexual life? Did she initiate your sexual encounters regularly?”

“Objection! Relevance?!”

“One str—

“Your Honor, I had to. Please. I’m getting somewhere.” Luke’s lawyer pleads. He continues, “So, Ms. Richardson has a high libido and drinks a lot—

“Objection!" Jean-Ann yells. The defense lawyer was way out of line. I wanted to scream at him, punch him, but I knew I couldn't. I had to keep my calm in court.

"Your honor, not only is this very insulting, but this is invading my client's personal space."

"Defense, I'll hold you in contempt of court if you repeat this. The court will go on a 15 minutes break. Strike that off, immediately.”

The internet was flooded with evidence that my father was not only corrupt, but a tax evader. Alleged slush funds and alleged money laundering businesses under his name with millions of Euros, majorly stolen or looted funds.

I'm seated in one of the rooms in the court, waiting for Jean-Ann to arrive with Luke and his attorney. The door opens and just as I'd hoped, Jean-Ann was able to get them to come with her. She nods at me. I nod at her. Luke and his attorney sit. Jean Ann is standing.

"Isn't there supposed to be a restraining order?" Luke asks.

"We're overlooking it, for now, Sir." She responds. She drops a blank sheet of paper and a pen on the table.

"And this is for?" Luke's lawyer asks.

"For you to do exactly as I say." I respond, sliding my phone on the table, towards them. "Please, go through."

Luke's lawyer chuckles, "Is this a joke?" Luke collects the phone and begins to go through. I notice him scroll frantically, his eyes giving his shock away.

"Did you do this?" Luke asks me, his eyes fixated on mine.

"No. Did you do this.” I respond, more of a statement, than a question. "Don't forget that a few hours ago, you threatened me with that, and you had my drink poisoned. I can go public with this, and if I do, you know it's over for you and your career. You'd rot in jail."

He falls back on the chair, looking at me. His lawyer begins, "This is blackmail. Do you understand the gravity of what you're doing?" He turns to face Jean-Ann. "Counsel your client, attorney. This is illegal."

"It's illegal to have my office wiretapped too. Do you want me to add that to your list of crimes?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

"Heh. I didn't know you had it in you to lie. I thought you would shamelessly agree, but you've surprised me."

"Take the deal we're offering; Agree to a settlement and we'll drop the case. If you don't agree to it, we will press charges for attempted murder and blackmail."

"Blackmail?" Luke's lawyer asks. "You're just fabricating things!"

"Am I though? Ask your client  if he didn't threaten to expose my fathers alleged crimes to the public. Ask him if he didn't give me a poisoned cup of cappuccino yesterday. He's right beside you, ask him!"

Luke's lawyer looks at him but doesn't ask anything.

"I wouldn't ever try to murder you, Natalie, are you insane? Have you gone mad?! Why would I poison your cappuccino? Caleb brought it in, you saw him!"

"Why is that the only thing you're denying? Why aren't you denying the blackmail?"

"I did. I'm not hiding anything here, I did, but I was never going to go through with it. I would never do that to you in as much as I despise you. Don't forget I'm Luke Carrington, I could do whatever the hell I want, without getting caught too. Trust me, if I wanted you dead, you would be already!" He yells. He continues, "I've been letting you have your way, don't forget who I am. Don't forget who you're talking to. With the flick of my fingers, I could turn the whole case around, in my favor. You're going too far and I'll be forced to deal with you."

This man's arrogance and lies heightened my anger towards him. "Is that a threat?"

"Mr. Carrington, watch your tone. This conversation might be getting recorded." Jean-Ann warns.

"What? You'd be exposing yourself too." Luke's lawyer says.

"Haven't you heard of editing?" I ask him. He doesn't respond. I continue, "I want a 100 million in compensation and, I want the manor and everything in it. That's all."

"Agree to that, write and sign on the blank sheet of paper and record a video, stating you agree to all Natalie's wishes. Only then will we drop the charges, never to be heard of again." Jean-Ann says.

I look at Jean-Ann. I liked her. There was a fire in here. She was the type of person to get whatever she wanted by hook or by crook. She wasn't even a struggling attorney, she was from a wealthy family. She wasn't a nobody.

"Your demands are outrageous. The manor is where he lives."

"So? Can he not get a new home?" I ask.

Luke laughs, "I thought you'd ask for my shares at C.I."

"I'm not greedy. I'm not like you." I respond, referencing to how he seized my family's wealth.

"You aren't?"

"Don't provoke me, Luke." I respond. He laughs. He was mocking me. Mocking me because he believed I had no clue about the merger. He was mocking me because he knew that even though I demanded for his shares say C.I it would be impossible because the merger had been backdated to before I became COO.  I knew he would have a field day throwing me out of the company.

"Is that all you'd like from me?" He asks me.

"That's all." I say, a smile on my face.

"Write and sign, please." Jean-Ann says. He tells his lawyer to keep calm and begins to write.

"Done."

"Just one thing missing." Jean-Ann says as she passes him an ink plate. "Your fingerprint." I chuckle silently. He places his fingerprint on the sheet of paper. Jean-Ann collects it. She begins shooting the video with her Nikon hand camera.