Chapter 12 - The Pawn Shop of Pride
Three days later, in a cramped budget hotel near the railway tracks in Nice, Mark Sterling paced the linoleum floor of a room that cost eighty euros a night.
His bespoke suits hung in the closet of the Hotel de Paris, held as collateral against unpaid room service bills. His platinum cards were dead pieces of plastic. The French authorities had allowed them a meager living allowance drawn from a monitored escrow account while the extradition review proceeded.
Across the tiny room, Eleanor sat on a sagging mattress, looking ten years older. The stylish blowout had fallen flat, her makeup was smeared, and she was wearing a cheap cotton blouse purchased from a train station convenience store.
""You said she was weak,"" Eleanor hissed, her voice trembling with bitter rage. ""You said she was just a timid girl who would take a settlement and disappear!""
""Shut up, Mother!"" Mark yelled, running both hands through his disheveled hair. ""You pushed me to accelerate the loan! You wanted the penthouse in Monaco! You wanted the yacht!""
""You couldn't even manage your own wife!"" Eleanor shrieked back, tears of humiliation finally spilling down her powdered cheeks. ""We are ruined! My friends in New York are reading about this in the Post! The family name is destroyed!""
A sharp knock at the door silenced them both.
Mark’s stomach twisted. He slowly approached the door and turned the brass knob.
Standing in the narrow hallway was not the police.
It was Claire.
She wore a perfectly fitted black cashmere coat, dark sunglasses pushed up into her wavy hair, and simple gold earrings. She looked radiant, powerful, and completely at ease. Behind her stood two French process servers in dark suits.
Mark’s jaw dropped. ""Claire...?""
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Claire stepped past him into the dingy room without a word of hesitation, glancing at the water stains on the ceiling and the unmade cot. Her gaze settled on Eleanor, who shrank back against the headboard as if she had just seen an executioner.
""Hello, Eleanor,"" Claire said softly. ""How is the family trip?""
