After Bankrupting Her Design Firm, Elena's Predatory Landlord and Ex-Husband Demands $1.5 Million or Eviction at a Charity Gala—Until a Secret UV Letter Exposes His Darkest Crime.
The gala continued around me, a blur of polite laughter and clinking glasses. I made my way through the crowd, still feeling the heat of Richard’s furious glare on my back. Claire Danforth was exactly where I’d last seen her, sipping champagne, her gaze still fixed on the stage.
“Ms. Danforth,” I said, approaching her table. “Thank you for staying.”
She turned, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. “Elena. That was quite a show. Not exactly the typical gala entertainment.”
I offered a weak smile in return. “No, it wasn’t.”
“May I be blunt?” she asked, her voice low.
“Please.”
“You have grit. That counts for a lot in this city.” She gestured to the empty chair beside her. “Sit.”
I sank into the velvet seat. The noise of the ballroom suddenly felt distant.
“Apex Global is looking for a lead architect for our new downtown mixed-use development,” Claire said, getting straight to the point. “Your portfolio for the Lakeview Tower was… impressive, even if the project never broke ground.”
A flicker of hope ignited within me. “Thank you. My team is ready for a challenge.”
Claire’s smile faded. “Richard DeWitt has been making the rounds. Very aggressively.”
My jaw tightened. “Lobbying, I assume?”
“More than that. He’s called every board member, every major investment fund, every city council contact who owes him a favor,” she explained. “He’s painting a picture of you as financially unstable, a legal liability. He’s trying to blackball you from any significant city contract.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. It wasn’t just my studio’s lease; he was trying to choke off my entire professional lifeline.
“He wants to ensure you can’t even *bid* on projects like ours,” Claire continued. “It’s personal, Elena. And he’s good at playing the long game.”
“So, despite your interest…?” I trailed off, bracing myself.
She met my gaze directly. “Apex Global prioritizes stability. But we also recognize talent. If you can neutralize Richard DeWitt’s influence, if you can prove you’re a stable partner, then we’ll talk business.”
“How?” I asked, feeling a cold dread mix with the new flicker of determination.
“He’s a landlord. Start there,” Claire suggested, her eyes holding a challenge. “Every landlord has skeletons in their closet, especially the ones who build empires on eviction notices.”
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