Chapter 6 - Collateral Damage
While Julian was breaking down in the VIP lounge, Chloe was standing alone in the devastated ballroom. The gala was in ruins. Waiters were clearing away untouched caviar. The string quartet had fled.
Chloe furiously dialed Julian’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. "Ugh, where is he?" she muttered, stomping her Louboutin heel.
"Looking for your golden goose, Chloe?"
Chloe spun around. Clara was descending the staircase, looking like a dark queen surveying her conquered territory.
"Stay away from me," Chloe sneered, trying to sound tough, though her voice trembled. "Julian is going to ruin you for what you did tonight."
Clara laughed—a genuine, musical laugh that echoed in the empty hall. "Oh, sweet, naive girl. Julian is currently crying in a leather chair upstairs, begging me not to send him to federal prison. He is broke, Chloe. Actually, worse than broke. He is hundreds of millions of dollars in debt."
Chloe’s eyes widened in panic. "You're lying. He's a billionaire."
"He was a billionaire," Clara corrected, stepping close enough that Chloe had to crane her neck to look up at her. "By Monday, his bank accounts will be frozen by the SEC. The penthouses, the yachts, your Bentley—all of it will be seized as evidence or liquidated to pay back creditors. Which brings me to you."
Clara reached into her clutch and pulled out a folded legal document and a pen. She held them out.
"What is this?" Chloe asked, stepping back.
"An ironclad Non-Disclosure Agreement," Clara said. "You will sign this, stating you will never speak of Julian, me, or Sterling Enterprises to the press. You will take off that grotesque ten-carat engagement ring and hand it to me right now. In exchange, I have a town car waiting outside that will take you to Teterboro Airport, where a private jet will fly you back to whatever midwestern town you crawled out of, along with a cashier's check for one million dollars. A parting gift."
Chloe looked at the paper, then at the ring on her finger. "A million dollars? But... Julian said we were going to be billionaires!"
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"Julian is going to jail, or he's going to be working at a car wash," Clara said ruthlessly. "You have ten seconds to decide, Chloe. Go down with the sinking ship, or take the lifeboat."
Chloe didn't hesitate. She ripped the ring off her finger, practically shoving it into Clara’s hand, scribbled her name on the NDA, and ran out the brass doors without looking back.
