Chapter 22
Far from the freezing docks, in a dingy, dimly lit diner on the outskirts of the city, Jessica Carter sat in a cracked vinyl booth. Her elegant designer cardigan was wrinkled, and her heavy diamond jewelry was gone, sold to pay for the cheap motel she and David were forced to live in. Her fair skin, once heavily powdered and flawless, looked haggard and deeply lined with bitter resentment. She stared at the cold cup of coffee in front of her, the vicious, resentful sneer permanently etched onto her features. The bell above the diner door chimed, and a tall man in a sharp, expensive suit walked in. It was Sterling Vance, a rival tech billionaire who had been trying to dismantle Emily’s empire for years. Vance slid into the booth across from Jessica, his crisp American accent dripping with condescension. "You said you had leverage on Emily Carter," Vance stated, not bothering with pleasantries. "I don't have time for the delusions of a bankrupt socialite, Jessica." Jessica’s eyes flashed with venomous hatred. "Emily is heavily invested in the new defense contracts. But I know the encryption bypass codes for her beta servers. Michael stole them before she locked him out." Vance's eyes narrowed, a predatory glint catching the diner's dull lights. "If you give me those codes, I can sink her company overnight." "I don't want money," Jessica hissed, her voice vibrating with malice. "I want her destroyed. I want her to lose everything, just like she made me lose everything."
