Chapter 3 - The Serpent's Bargain
Simone Vale didn’t wait long to approach her. Two days later, while Zolani was sitting in a corner booth of a cafe, the woman slid into the seat opposite her, her eyes scanning the room like a hawk. The "sweet nurse" facade had vanished; in its place was a sharp, calculating opportunist. “I know about the Vantage files,” Simone whispered, leaning in close, her scent cloying and sweet. “I did my research. Darius is an idiot; he thinks he can control the hospital with charm alone. I know that without the board’s approval, he’s nothing. I want in, Zolani. Cut him out of the expansion deal, sign it through me, and we can make this all go away. I’ll make sure you get a generous settlement and your reputation remains intact.”
Zolani watched her, realizing how perfectly Simone and Darius were matched in their hollow morality. “So, it was never love between you two?” Zolani asked, keeping her tone detached. Simone let out a hollow laugh. “Love is a luxury for the weak. This is a business arrangement. You have the keys to the kingdom, and I have the ambition to run it. Why play the victim when you could be the victor?” Beneath the table, Zolani’s phone was actively recording every word. She was no longer just the wife who was cheated on; she was the architect of a trap.
However, the war turned personal that evening. She arrived home to find a formal notice taped to her door. Darius had filed for an emergency hearing for sole custody of seven-year-old Ada. The documents were a masterpiece of fiction—he had labeled Zolani as a "mentally unstable alcoholic" prone to "violent outbursts." The cruelty of it left her breathless. He wasn't just trying to take her job; he was trying to erase her motherhood. She called Solomon, her voice shaking with a rage she hadn't known she possessed. “He is using my daughter as a weapon,” she said. “Good,” Solomon responded, his voice low and dangerous. “That is exactly the mistake that will end his career, and his life as he knows it.”
