Page 72 of The Stranger

His lawyer stands and buttons his coat. “Okay. I think we’re done here.”

“We are just getting started. Now, sit the fuck down,” I growl.

“We have the upper hand,” he retorts. “I don’t think you are in any position to bark out orders.”

“Actually,” Logan chimes in, “you might want to take a look at this.”

“What is it?” my father asks, sitting forward in his seat.

Logan pushes the folder across the table, and his lawyer opens it first. He scans over the top two sheets of paper before his face pales.

My father snatches it from him and starts flicking through the stack of incriminating evidence. “Where did you get this,” he bellows.

“As you can see, you are royally fucked, old man. We have countless receipts for all the sexual advances you made towards women in this company, including your illegal activities and the underhanded deals you’ve done regarding the above over the years. We have multiple affidavits from a large majority of your victims, as well as bank statements to corroborate all the bribes and hush money paid … the paper trail is quite extensive.”

It took me many months to gather all the intel to back up Christine’s original files, but it was worth it just to see the stricken looks on both of their faces. His lawyer is in this just as deep as he is.

“So,” Logan says, after giving them both a moment tolet it all sink in. “This is our last offer. Fifty million dollars and a get-out-of-jail-free card. If you don’t accept, we’ll be handing these files over to the authorities.”

My father’s lawyer visibly swallows, and I don’t bother trying to hide my smile. “I think you’ll find my client will be accepting the deal.”

“Hold on a minute,” my father yells. “Fifty million is a third of what was originally offered … and less than half of what my shares in this company are worth. I have a new baby on the way?—”

“Your wife is pregnant?” I ask, cutting him off. That news is like a sucker punch to my gut.

“Yes,” my father answers. “This child is going to be your half-sibling, Son. Whatever you do to me now, is going to affect him or her going forward.”

“With firsthand knowledge of the type of father you are, I’m more worried about the damageyou’llcause this child.”

“You’re a disgrace,” he growls. “I’m ashamed to call you my son. I have a good mind to disinherit you.”

“Pot, kettle, old man, and please do. I want nothing from you.”

He bangs his fist down on the table. “Because you already stole it all.”

I don’t know the minor details of my parents’ property settlement, but I know my father is far from poor. “I stole nothing. You gave me twenty-five percent of this company as a bribe to have me come work here.”

“And what a fool I was,” he seethes.

“The other thirty-seven-point-five percent I brought from my mother.”

“For a fucking dollar,” he roars. Despite the fury that’s running through me, I look over at him and grin. He and his dick of a lawyer tried every trick in the book to squashthat sale, but in the end, they lost. “I bet you that bitch put you up to this.”

His crude words about the woman who gave me life have me hitting boiling point. I leap to my feet, ready to launch myself across the table at this piece of shit, but Logan quickly stands and places his hand on my shoulder. “He’s not worth it,” he mumbles under his breath.

And he’s right; he’s not.

My mother doesn’t know about this meeting or the secret files, and if I have a say in it, she never will. This man has hurt her enough. There is no point in rubbing salt into that wound. As it is, I’m going to have to break the baby news to her before the tabloids get wind of it. I’d rather she hear it from me.

“I’ve changed my mind,” I say as my gaze moves from my father to Logan. “I’m prepared to offer twenty-five million, and not a penny more.”

“You can’t do that,” my father yells.

“I’m afraid I can, and I just did. So, unless you want to see yourself behind bars, I’d be signing those papers expeditiously. You have forty-eight hours.” I button up my suit jacket before leaning across the table to collect the file. “If we don’t hear from you by then, I’ll hand these over to the authorities.” With that, I turn my attention back to Logan. “Can you handle this from here?”

“Yes, of course.”

I extend my hand to him. “Thank you for everything.”