The man’s grin faltered for a moment, then twisted into a sneer. “Listen, lady, I don’t care about your lawyer or your threats. You cost me 150 thousand bucks. I lost that much because of you. Now you’re gonna pay me back and it won’t be cheap,”
She frowned, her patience wearing thin. “For what?”
“For posting your video, obviously,” he snapped, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You ruined my deal and if you don’t pay up. I’ll post it again. And this time? It’s gonna cost you even more.”
He held up three fingers, wagging them in her direction.
“Three hundred thousand?” she asked, her voice sharp.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Try three million. That’s the price now.”
Kayla’s jaw tightened, but she kept her tone steady. “You’re blackmailing me. Do you realize that’s illegal?” The man barked out a laugh, leaning forward. “Don’t give me that crap. You’re gonna talk to me about the law? You, of all people? Lady, you’re just as dirty as me. Don’t act like you’ve got the moral high ground here.”
He spat the toothpick into the empty fruit bowl, his arrogance filling the room.
“Yeah, right, I’m blackmailing you! If you don’t pay me today, I’m not leaving!” the man declared, his voice loud and brazen.
Kayla watched him for a moment, her face calm but her eyes sharp. “Who sent you?” she asked, her voice low and steady.
The man stiffened, his cocky smirk faltering “What? No one sent me. What are you talking about?”
Kayla tilted her head slightly, her expression unchanging. “You didn’t just show up here on your own. Someone put you up to this. Who was it?”
“Stop with the nonsense!” he snapped, his bravado creeping back.
She sighed, clearly unimpressed. “Let me put this simply. If you don’t tell me the truth, you’re not getting a cent.” That got his attention. His eyes darted around the room, searching for some kind of leverage. “Wait, wait, how do I know you’ll actually pay if I talk?”
“You don’t,” Kayla said, flat and dismissive. “But if you don’t talk, you’re definitely not getting anything. Your call.” He gritted his teeth, hesitating for a long moment, before blurting out, “Fine, I’ll tell you! But you’d better pay me,
or I swear I’ll post those videos again!”
Kayla didn’t flinch. “Go ahead. Talk.”
And just like that, he spilled everything; names, details, even a few extra tidbits she hadn’t expected. She stood there, cool and composed, taking it all in. None of it surprised her.
When he finally stopped rambling, Kayla turned on her heel to leave.
“Hey!” he yelled after her. “What about my 3 million?”
Without slowing down, she said over her shoulder, “Don’t worry. You’ll get your call today.”
She would have to pay up. Otherwise, the guy and whoever’s pulling the strings wouldn’t get charged with
blackmail.
Kayla had deliberately chosen this reception room because the entire place was under constant surveillance. Every word he had said, every threat and demand, had been recorded. Now she had all the evidence she needed to press charges.
It was over for him–and whoever had sent him.
When Kayla got home that evening, she found Stephanie and Ferris huddled together in the living room, whispering like a couple of high school kids caught cheating on a test. They didn’t even notice her walk in.
Kayla leaned against the doorway, watching them for a moment. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were discussing–probably divvying up the money they thought they would extort
She smiled faintly to herself. Let them plan all they wanted. By this time tomorrow, their little scheme would crumble and they would have nowhere to hide.
