The library doors opened.
“Actually,” a clear voice rang out. “You have nothing.”
Victoria walked into the room. The white and gold “Queen” dress shimmered under the chandelier light. She didn’t look at William; she looked directly at Arthur Sterling.
She walked to the desk and placed a small, silver flash drive on top of Arthur’s resignation letter.
“What is this?” Arthur asked, his eyes narrowing.
“That is the Caymans Ledger,” Victoria said, her voice steady and lethal. “Dominic sent it to me an hour ago.”
Arthur froze. The color drained from his face, leaving him looking old and grey.
“It details every shell company, every bribe, and every illegal wire transfer you’ve made in the last ten years,” Victoria continued, stepping up beside William to form their united front. “It also contains the board minutes from 1998, proving you signed off on the cover-up regarding William’s father. If you release the story about Richard, you implicate yourself as an accessory.”
Arthur stared at the drive. He looked at Victoria, realizing he had made a fatal error: he had underestimated the “Scared Girl,” not realizing she had become the Lioness.
“You have a choice, Arthur,” Victoria said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You can release your story, and we will release ours. You will go to federal prison for the rest of your life. Or, you can retire tonight. You can leave our company, and our family, alone forever.”