Chapter 34
|
Lucas set the heavy manila folder on my desk, a dangerous, protective fire burning in his eyes.
"Who did you call?" I asked, looking down at the folder.
"Attorney Jessica Davis," Lucas answered smoothly. "She specializes in corporate defamation and aggressive civil litigation. She reviewed the timestamps and IP routing data of the fake reviews you received this morning."
Sarah leaned in, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Can she trace them back to Eleanor?"
"She already did," Lucas smiled, a cold, satisfied expression. "Eleanor isn't as smart as she thinks she is. She didn't use a professional bot farm. She used her own personal laptop and her home Wi-Fi network to create multiple fake accounts. Davis has the digital footprint documented perfectly."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, opening the folder to see pages of undeniable, hard evidence.
Chloe stepped timidly into the office, holding a stack of filed charts. She looked at the folder, then at me, her eyes filling with profound guilt.
"This is all my fault," Chloe whispered, her voice trembling. "She is doing this to your business because you took me in. I should just go back, Maya. I can't let her destroy everything you built."
"Stop right there," I commanded gently, walking around the desk to stand directly in front of my sister. "Do not let her put that guilt on your shoulders. You are not responsible for her unhinged, illegal behavior."
"But your clinic..." Chloe cried softly.
"My clinic is going to be absolutely fine," I promised, reaching out to hold her hands. "We have a lawyer. We have the proof. We are going to hit her with a massive defamation lawsuit by the end of the day. You don't ever have to go back to that house, Chloe. I am not backing down."
May you like
"Maya is right," Sarah agreed fiercely. "We don't negotiate with emotional terrorists."
"I am going to call Ms. Davis right now," I said, feeling my sovereignty solidify into an unbreakable armor of resolve. "It's time to show our mother exactly what happens when she crosses my boundaries."
