Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101-

“Tell her,’ I said slowly, that I have a business proposition. One her family can’t afford to refuse.”

Catherine arrived two hours later, looking wary and overdressed in head-to-toe Prada.

“Victoria. She air-kissed both my cheeks. “What’s this about? I thought after the pool incident, we were supposed to keep our distance-

“Sit.”

She sat.

I poured two glasses of champagne and handed her one.

“How’s the family business?” I asked pleasantly.

Catherine’s face tightened. “We’re… managing.”

*

“Managing.” I smiled. ‘Is that what you call it? Because from what I hear, the Vanderbilt real estate portfolio is bleeding money. Your father’s overleveraged on that Miami development, and the banks are starting to circle.”

Her knuckles went white around the champagne flute. “How do you-

“I make it my business to know things.” I sat across from her, crossing my legs. “Especially when those things might be useful.”

“What do you want, Victoria?”

I took a sip of champagne, letting the silence stretch.

“Elena Vance is pregnant,” I said finally.

Catherine’s eyes widened. “I heard. Julian announced it at the hospital-

‘Sixteen weeks.” The word came out bitter. “I saw the ultrasound today.”

“So?” Catherine leaned back, trying to look bored. “Why should I care about that little nobody’s spawn?”

“Because,” I said softly, “if she has that baby, Julian will never let her go. Right now, their marriage is still… precarious. But a child? That changes

everything.”

Catherine was quiet for a long moment. Then: “What are you suggesting?”

I met her eyes. “I’m suggesting that accidents happen. Pregnant women are fragile. A fall down the stairs. A car accident. Food poisoning.” I paused. “So many terrible things that could go wrong.”

Her face went pale. “Are you insane? Julian almost destroyed my family over the pool incident. If I-*

Julian won’t know it was you. I leaned forward. “He won’t even suspect. Because you’ll be nowhere near her when it happens.”

2:09 pm

MA

Chapter 101-

Then whe

“I have people.” I waved a hand. “Professionals. All you need to do is provide information. Her schedule. Where she goes. When she’s alone.”

Catherine stood abruptly. “No. Absolutely not. Do you have any idea what Julian would do if he found out? He’d ruin us—”

“You’re already losing everything,” I snapped. “Your father has maybe six months before the banks foreclose. Maybe less.”

She froze.

“But,” I continued, my voice turning sweet, “what if that didn’t happen? What if the Vanderbilt family suddenly received a cash infusion? Say… twenty million dollars?”

Catherine turned slowly. “You don’t have that kind of money.”

“No.” I smiled, “But the Astor family trust does. And my father has been very… motivated lately to secure my future.” I paused. “To make sure I marry Julian

Sterling,

Her eyes narrowed. “So you’re bribing me to help you kill Elena’s baby.”

#

“I’m offering you a business arrangement,” I corrected. “You help me remove an obstacle, and I help save your family from bankruptcy.”

Catherine was quiet for a long time, I could see the wheels turning in her head-calculating, weighing options.

Finally, she sat back down.

“If I do this,” she said slowly, “I need guarantees. Written contracts. Money in escrow-

“Of course.” I smiled. “Everything will be documented. Legal. Airtight.”

She picked up her champagne glass with a shaking hand. “And Julian will never know?”

“Julian will think it’s a tragic accident,” I said. “These things happen to pregnant women all the time.”

Catherine drained her glass in one long swallow.

Then she reached across the table and took my hand.

“You know,” she said, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, I always thought you should be may sister-in-law. Not that jumped-up little

nobody.”

1 squeezed her hand back, matching her smile.

I’m sure this will all go smoothly, Catherine.”

After she lett, I stood at the window, looking out over Central Park. The autumn leaves were already falling, drifting down like dying embers.

I thought about the ultrasound photo. About the tiny hands and feet

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