The mood in Arthur Sterling’s office was glacial. On the wall-sized monitors, the clip of Victoria’s interview played on a loop–the moment she stared down the camera and declared war on “corporate bullies.” The public approval ratings for the Crofts were skyrocketing.
Cynthia Sharpe sat on the leather sofa, scrolling through Twitter. “She flipped the narrative, Arthur. She’s not the unstable ex-stripper anymore. She’s the ‘Mama Bear.’ Attacking her directly is only making her stronger.”
Arthur Sterling turned from the window. He was a man who viewed people not as human beings, but as assets or liabilities. Victoria Vance had just proven she was a formidable asset to his rival.
“If you cannot breach the castle walls,” Arthur said, his voice devoid of emotion, “you poison the water supply. You starve the army.”
He pressed a button on his desk phone. “Get me the property management records for the North End district. Specifically, the building where Dr. Khan resides.”
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “You’re going after the girlfriend?”
“I’m going after the support system,” Arthur corrected. “My son Julian is weak. He is playing ‘house’ with a woman who has no resources. If I break his sanctuary, I break his spirit. And when Julian breaks, he becomes a burden to William Croft.”
He looked at the screen, watching Victoria smile. “Let’s see how strong the ‘United Front’ is when they have to carry the wounded.”