Penelope led Chloe into a private conference room on an upper floor, the silence of the space a stark contrast to the bustling reception area. She gestured for Chloe to sit at the long, polished table but remained standing herself, her posture radiating an icy authority. "Start talking," Penelope commanded, her voice low and direct. "And don't waste my time."
Chloe, momentarily intimidated by Penelope's cool demeanour, took a deep breath. She had rehearsed this. "I'm Sarah's sister," she began, her voice a mix of feigned sadness and calculated triumph. "The girl your fiancé has been hiding at the hospital."
A flicker of something—was it hurt, or just annoyance?—crossed Penelope's face. "What about her? And what does she have to do with Damien?"
"Everything," Chloe replied, leaning forward conspiratorially. "She's not just a patient. She's his mistress." She then launched into her story, exaggerating details and painting a picture of a passionate, secret affair between Damien and Sarah. She described Damien's daily visits, his gifts, and his intense concern for Sarah, all while carefully omitting the fact that Sarah had no memory of him and that their relationship was based on his guilt. She explained how they were her adoptive family, how they had taken Sarah in when she was just a baby, and how they had looked after her all her life, a fact she embellished with tear-jerking tales of sacrifice. "But now," she continued, "Damien moved her to a private ward and has forbidden us from visiting her."
Penelope listened intently, her expression unreadable. When Chloe finished, a long silence filled the room. Chloe shifted uncomfortably, unsure if her words had landed.
Finally, Penelope spoke. "So, you're telling me that my fiancé is having a secret affair with your sister, and you're here to tell me this... why?"
Chloe's face hardened. "For a price. We've been looking after Sarah our whole lives. Now, with all her injuries, it will be a lot more costly. My mother and I have been taking care of her, and we think we deserve to be compensated. You see, we are not as rich as you are. And since it's in your best interest to know about this... affair, you should pay me for the information, and I can be of assistance to you in the future. If not, then I suppose I can always turn to the press."
Penelope arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Oh? I see. You're trying to blackmail me. Or rather, you're trying to sell me information about my future husband. Interesting." She walked to the window, looking out at the city skyline. "And what makes you think I can't find all this out myself? Damien is my fiancé. All I have to do is ask him."
"He won't tell you the truth!" Chloe insisted, her voice rising. "Who would tell their fiancé that he's hiding a mistress?" She laughed. "You can even pay us for our silence and keep this whole situation a secret. You don't want your reputation ruined before the engagement, do you?"
Penelope turned back to face Chloe, a thin smile on her lips. "I don't think you understand who you're dealing with. I don't pay for information. But since you're so loyal..." She paused, her eyes like chips of ice. "How about this: you will give me all the information you have about Sarah, and in return, I will give you $1 million to disappear together with your sister out of my and Damien's life. I'll add another million if you get rid of Sarah completely."
Chloe's heart pounded. She hadn't expected this. "You want me to kill Sarah?"
"Yes," Penelope said, her smile widening. "Do we have a deal?"
Chloe swallowed hard. This was more complicated, and far more dangerous, than she had imagined. The gold ticket she held in her hands had now turned into a possible ticket to prison. How could she kill Sarah? She was desperate for money, having debts everywhere, and this money from Penelope could pay off some of her debts. But she realized that killing Sarah would get her nothing. She could see if a Mr. Kang was still interested in her.
"Do we have a deal?" Penelope repeated, her voice a soft, deadly purr.
Chloe, her face a mask of greed and fear, nodded slowly. "We have a deal."
While Chloe was sealing her dark pact with Penelope, Marco was on his way to the state penitentiary. He had arranged a visit with Hector Cruz, a small-time thief now serving time for petty robbery. The man sat behind a glass partition, looking sullen and defeated. Marco spoke to him over a crackling telephone.
"Hector, I know you tampered with a car two weeks ago," Marco began, his voice devoid of emotion. "Someone paid you to do it."
Hector's eyes darted around the room, but he didn't try to deny it. "Yeah," he muttered, "a woman ordered me to."
"How did she look?" Marco asked, his eyes never leaving the man's face.
As Hector described her, Marco felt a chilling sense of recognition. He reached into his jacket and pulled out two printed photos, placing them flat against the glass. One was of Chloe, the other of Caroline. He held the phone up to the glass. "Which one is it?" he asked.
Without hesitation, Hector's finger tapped the photo of Chloe. "That one," he said. "The other woman was waiting in the car."
Marco now had all the evidence he needed. He ended the call, thanked the guard, and left the prison, his mind racing. The pieces of the puzzle were finally clicking into place. He pulled out his phone and dialled Damien's number. As he walked out into the sunlight, he delivered the news. "Sir, you're not going to believe this. It was her. Chloe Walker."
Damien then instructed Marco to give all the evidence to Detective Martin.
Penelope's phone buzzed with an incoming call from her private investigator. She answered with a sharp command. "Report."
The voice on the other end was succinct. "Mr. Sterling just arrived at the hospital."
Penelope's grip on the phone tightened. There was only one reason Damien would go to that hospital. He was there to see Sarah. A cold fury, fuelled by the lies Chloe had just sold her, surged through her. A little bit longer, she thought with a bitter satisfaction, and this bitch will disappear from Damien's life forever. A triumphant, yet malevolent, smile touched her lips.
Just then, the conference room door opened, and Sam walked in.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
"I had a meeting," Penelope replied, her voice smooth and composed as she slipped her phone into her pocket.
"A meeting in the private conference room?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing. "Why don't I know anything about it?"
"It was with the person from the engagement planning company I hired," she said, her lie effortless.
Sam's expression softened slightly. "Oh, I see."
As Penelope started to leave, Sam reached out and took her hand. "Penny," he called sweetly, "are you sure you want to get engaged to a man who doesn't even like you?"
Penelope snatched her hand away as if his touch burned her. "I like him, and whether he likes me or not, he will marry me."
Sam let out a soft, sarcastic laugh. "You are out of your damn mind, Penelope. Can't you see his disgust towards you?"
She sneered at him, turned, and walked out of the room.
Sam sat down in a chair, his mind reeling. She's insane, just like the rest of the family. He was the only one of the rare members of the Wellington family who wasn't consumed by the pursuit of wealth, fake alliances, and power. He couldn't shake the feeling that Penelope was about to do something reckless and dangerous. He knew her loyalty to her parents, but he watched her grow up and protected her when she was a kid, so he couldn't just watch her ruin her own life like that. He hoped she would find a good man who loves her and have a happy family of her own...
Taking out his phone, he made a quick call. "Can you keep an eye on Penelope?" he said into the receiver before hanging up.
Marco arrived at the police station and was directed to a small, cluttered office where Detective Martin sat hunched over a pile of paperwork. The detective looked up, his expression weary but alert.
"Marco, what brings you back this time?" Detective Martin said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. "I've been thinking about you. How's Mr. Sterling doing?"
Marco placed a thick file on the desk. "He sends his greetings." The detective smiled. Marco continued, "All the evidence you need is in there, Detective. I have the video footage, a signed statement from the man who tampered with the brakes, and his positive identification of the person who hired him."
Detective Martin opened the file and began to review its contents. He read Hector's statement, studied the stills from the surveillance footage, and paused at the photos of Chloe and Caroline Walker. A grim look settled on his face. He leaned back in his chair, putting the pieces together.
"Alright," the detective said, closing the file. "So, this is the layout of the case: Caroline and Chloe Walker sold Sarah Walker to a casino owner named Louis Kang, to whom Chloe owed a couple of million dollars. Ethan Evans, the victim, found out and went to the hotel where the drugged Sarah was with Kang to rescue her. According to Kang, the two Walker women drugged Sarah and would receive the money after Sarah had slept with him. The two Walker women found out about Ethan's plan to rescue Sarah and sent Hector Cruz to cut his car's brakes outside the hotel. Ethan successfully fought Kang and his men, rescuing Sarah. However, on the way, the weather conditions were horrible with thunderstorms, heavy rain, and low visibility. His brakes weren't working, and he hit Mr. Sterling's car and then a tree, dying on the spot. Is that about right?"
Marco nodded once. "Yes, Detective. That's about right."
"I'll have a warrant out for the arrest of Chloe and Caroline Walker by the end of the day," Detective Martin stated. "They've got a lot to answer for. Thank Mr. Sterling in my name." Marco stood up, shook the detective's hand, thanked him, and left.