Chapter 7 - Victor’s Counterattack
Victor filed a civil lawsuit against me and Hartwell Group.
He claimed fraudulent inducement to marriage.
Intentional emotional distress.
Career manipulation.
Defamation.
He demanded fifty million dollars.
His complaint described him as a talented executive secretly controlled by his wife’s father.
The public story divided people.
Some believed Victor’s crimes.
Others focused on my deception.
Commentators called me a billionaire playing poverty.
They asked whether I had created the husband I later punished.
I appeared for one interview.
The reporter asked:
“Did you manipulate Victor’s career?”
“I asked my father not to block opportunities he would otherwise receive.”
“Did Hartwell executives help him?”
“Some introductions were arranged.”
“Then his success was partly staged.”
“Yes.”
“Do you regret that?”
“Yes.”
“Does that excuse fraud?”
“No.”
“Does it excuse assault?”
“No.”
“Does it excuse risking lives through defective construction?”
“No.”
I refused the comforting version in which I had done nothing wrong.
Victor had chosen cruelty.
I had chosen secrecy.
Both truths could exist without becoming equal.
The lawsuit gave us access to discovery.
Russell requested Victor’s full financial records.
His attorneys tried to withdraw the complaint.
The judge refused until sanctions were considered.
Victor had opened the door.
We walked through it.
Discovery revealed an account in Zurich.
Twelve million dollars had been transferred there through Meridian vendors.
The beneficiary was not Victor.
It was Kendra Vale.
Kendra swore she knew nothing.
Her attorney demanded an immediate federal interview.
The account documents carried her signature.
She claimed Victor had copied it.
Then investigators found a video recorded inside the penthouse.
Victor sat with Eleanor at the dining table.
He practiced Kendra’s signature repeatedly.
Eleanor said:
“If anything happens, the mistress becomes the criminal.”
Victor had planned to sacrifice every woman around him.
Me.
Kendra.
Even his mother, if necessary.
Eleanor learned that from the federal evidence packet.
She changed her plea and offered complete cooperation.
Victor’s family alliance ended in less than a week.
Then he disappeared.
His electronic monitor was found beneath a bridge.
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His car was abandoned near O’Hare.
Inside the trunk, police found a construction helmet, cash, and plans for the Ashland tower.
