Chapter 13 - The Jailhouse Bargain
The fluorescent lights of the maximum-security women's correctional facility buzzed relentlessly overhead.
Chloe Mercer sat in the visitor's booth, wearing an oversized orange jumpsuit that swallowed her once-glamorous frame.
Her blonde hair was unwashed and stringy, her face devoid of the expensive makeup that used to be her armor.
Victoria Vance sat on the other side of the thick plexiglass, holding a sleek black briefcase.
"You look terrible, Chloe," Victoria noted dryly, picking up the heavy telephone receiver.
Chloe snatched up her end of the phone, glaring at the billionaire with unrestrained hatred.
"What do you want, Victoria?" Chloe hissed, her voice raspy from disuse.
"I need the dirt you compiled on Elena before the divorce," Victoria demanded, getting straight to the point.
"I know you hired private investigators to track her every move, looking for something to justify Julian's infidelity."
Chloe let out a harsh, bitter laugh that echoed off the concrete walls.
"And why would I give you anything?" she sneered.
"Because if you give me what I need to destroy Elena, I will fund your latest appeal with the best lawyers in the country," Victoria promised.
Chloe's eyes widened, the desperate hunger for freedom completely overpowering her lingering pride.
"There was a gap of three weeks between the time Elena moved out and the time she officially filed the divorce papers," Chloe whispered frantically.
"During that time, she was secretly meeting with a financial advisor to move her personal assets into an offshore account."
"It was entirely legal, but we can twist the narrative to make it look like she was embezzling from Julian before the split."
Victoria smiled, her mind already spinning the story for the tabloids.
"You always were a brilliant little snake, Chloe," Victoria praised her mockingly.
"Have your lawyer contact my office by noon tomorrow."
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Victoria stood up and walked away, leaving Chloe to rot in her cage just a little bit longer.
The trap was set, and the bait was perfectly poisoned.
