CHAPTER 93: THE PROPOSAL (2)

Oliver slid a neat stack of folders across the polished table, each one containing the proposal he’d painstakingly prepared, most of it shaped from Nick’s razor-edged suggestions.

Attorney Warren, Raymond, and Jefferson bent over the documents, eyes scanning every word; the atmosphere inside the room was thick with the weight of what was at stake.

But before father and son could reach the final page, Warren’s hand stilled. With a careful motion, he set the folder down, his gaze sharp.

"Attorney Morris," he said, voice clipped but courteous, "could you give us a moment? I need to speak with my clients privately."

Oliver’s smile was calm, but his eyes were unreadable. "Of course." He rose smoothly and tilted his head toward Nick and Georgia. "Let’s wait outside."

Nick’s hand brushed the small of Georgia’s back as he fell into step beside her—whether to guide her or stake his silent claim was anyone’s guess. She felt the warm pressure even through the fabric of her dress, and her pulse quickened despite herself.

Raymond, Jefferson, and Attorney Warren saw it. Raymond gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. As much as he wanted to grab Nick and beat him to death, he was bound to the table in front of him with his handcuffs.

The heavy door shut behind them with a muffled thud. And then—Jefferson’s voice erupted from inside, raw and furious. "That fucking son of a bitch!"

The words cracked through the air like a whip.

Oliver and Nick exchanged a look, both of them wearing the same slow, knowing smirk. His rage was so loud it bled through the closed door, following them as they walked toward the station’s lobby.

Inside the closed room, tension coiled like a live wire. Attorney Warren’s measured voice tried to steady the air, but Jefferson’s fury still burned hot enough to scorch the table between them.

Raymond’s eyes stayed locked on the proposal Oliver had placed before them, the neat lines of text blurring under the storm in his mind.

"I can’t..." His voice cracked, low and strained. "I can’t agree to this. I can’t lose Georgia—"

*SLAP!*

The sharp crack of skin against skin shattered the air. Raymond’s head jerked sideways, his cheek stinging from the force of his father’s hand.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jefferson’s voice was a roar, each word dripping with wrath. "Are you on drugs? Is that why you claim you don’t remember anything?! Or is it all a performance, staged by that lowly woman of yours?!"

Raymond’s eyes filled, tears spilling over as he shook his head. "I swear, I didn’t touch Nancy, Dad! She denies it, too. Maybe we were drunk, maybe neither of us remembers..."

Jefferson’s lip curled in disgust. "Or maybe Georgia’s lying. Maybe she and that Nicholas Knight orchestrated this from the start—maybe they killed David so she could take over her pathetic little business. Desperation makes people dangerous, Raymond. Did you see how Knight held her? That wasn’t an enemy’s touch. That was possession."

His voice dropped into a hiss. "They’ve known each other for years, I’d wager. And you? You were the fool who believed she loved you. Hell, maybe she’s the one who drugged you."

"Let’s slow down," Attorney Warren cut in, his calm tone a thin shield against the storm. "Throwing accusations without proof will only make things worse for you."

Jefferson exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face, but didn’t argue.

"Even if your theory about Georgia is correct," Warren continued, "you can’t prove it. No toxicology or drug test will matter now; it’s too late for that, and there’s nothing that links her or Nicholas to David’s death. They, on the other hand, have more than enough evidence to bury you in court." He slid a tissue box toward Raymond.

Jefferson’s glare didn’t soften, but his voice shifted to a clipped demand. "So, what are you suggesting, Warren?"

"If you want this over quickly," Warren said evenly, "you take their deal. They retract the abduction charges; you nullify the agreement with Georgia over her company. For the assault and attempted rape allegations, you erase her company’s debt—consider it compensation."

He leaned back. "Agree, and this dies here. Refuse, and we go to court. But with what they have, your odds are almost nonexistent... unless you can prove they planned this from the start."

Silence settled over the room, heavy and suffocating. Outside, the world kept turning, but in here, every breath was measured, every decision a blade poised to fall.

"Do it, Warren," Jefferson growled, his voice a blade slicing through the tension between him and his son.

"But Dad—" Raymond started, desperation cracking his tone.

*SLAP!*

The sound exploded in the room, echoing off the walls. Raymond’s head snapped to the side once more, another hot sting blooming across his cheek.

"I will keep slapping you until you wake up from this pathetic delusion!" Jefferson’s eyes burned, his towering rage swallowing the space between them.

"Even if you win this case, do you think Georgia will still marry you? That is Nicholas Knight you’re up against, you fool! He doesn’t even have to run their empire—Benjamin still favors him above all.

If they can make a murder case vanish into thin air, then this?" Jefferson scoffed darkly. "This is nothing. They could crush you with their eyes closed. And you—" his finger jabbed toward Raymond’s chest "—walked right into their trap. They knew you’d go to that damn island. They filmed everything.

I know you and that woman must have taunted you so you would lose your mind. They waited for you to lose control with Georgia, so they could stack more charges against you."

Jefferson’s voice dropped into a lethal growl. "I didn’t take you in and raise you just for you to be this weak. Keep piling on this stupidity, and I’ll make you regret the day you met me. I’ll strip you of everything myself."

Raymond sat frozen, his chest heaving, the sting on his cheek no match for the cold dread sinking into his bones.

Without waiting for a reply, Jefferson turned sharply to Attorney Warren.

"Accept their offer so we can all go home. I’ve wasted enough of my time here."

Warren gave a curt nod, his professional mask barely hiding the weight of what was about to unfold. Without another word, he stepped out of the room to summon the others back—while outside, in the lobby, Oliver, Georgia, and Nicholas waited, knowing what the result would be.