Chapter 3: Shaking the Foundation
Two weeks later, Victoria was discharged. Instead of disappearing into the night with the Sterlings' hush money, she went straight to a small, independent investigative journalist named Marcus Vance, who had been trying to expose the Sterling family's medical malpractice cover-ups for years.
"They control the police department, the hospital board, and the local courts," Marcus warned her, looking at the photos of her injuries. "To take down Julian, we can't just accuse him of domestic violence. We have to strike at what he values most: his public image."
Together, they orchestrated a trap. Marcus leaked a redacted version of Victoria’s medical report from the night of the fall to a national news network, omitting her name but detailing the severe injuries consistent with a forced fall, not an accidental trip. The media went into a frenzy, speculating about the high-profile family involved.
Panicked, Julian did exactly what Victoria expected him to do. He reached out to her, demanding a secret meeting at his private office at the clinic to force her signature on the NDA.
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When Victoria walked into his office, Julian was a manic mess. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pressing her against the wall. "You think you can destroy me?" he hissed, his eyes wild with the same rage he had shown on the balcony. "I built this empire! I pushed you once, Victoria, and I survived it. If I have to finish the job to protect my family's name, I will. No one will ever believe a broken girl over me!"
Victoria smiled through her terror. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The screen was glowing. She wasn't recording; she was broadcasting live to Marcus’s news channel, with hundreds of thousands of people watching.
