Chapter 12: The Hidden Evidence
232 words
Vance's declaration hung in the air, heavy and metallic. He didn't wait for me to process it. He pulled a tablet from his briefcase and tapped the screen.
"The police report said it was an accident. They said he lost control due to road conditions," Vance said, his voice clipped. "But Sterling was sloppy. He paid off the cops, but he forgot the ATM camera across the street."
He turned the screen toward me. The grainy black-and-white footage showed the silver Pagani swerving. But before the crash, through the windshield, you could clearly see Preston lifting a bottle to his lips.
"He was drunk," I breathed, horror mixing with rage. "My husband's car... my life... destroyed because he was thirsty?"
"Drunk and reckless," Vance corrected. "This shifts us from a negligence claim to criminal gross negligence. I'm the best DUI lawyer in the state when I want to be, Sarah. We have the leverage for massive litigation funding now."
He pulled a thick document from his jacket. A contract.
"He took your home. He mocked your poverty. He thinks you're helpless." Vance uncapped a heavy fountain pen and held it out to me. "Evidence recovery is done. Now comes the execution. Sign this, and we take everything he has. His company, his mansion, his dignity."
My hand trembled, not from weakness this time, but from adrenaline. I took the pen.
End of Chapter 12
