Chapter 6 - The Fixer's Office
At 7:00 AM, Eleanor walked into the midtown offices of Sterling & Vance.
The receptionist wasn't at her desk. Eleanor bypassed security and walked straight toward Martin Vance’s corner office.
The door was ajar. A harsh, grinding noise echoed from inside. The smell of hot plastic and heated metal filled the air.
Martin Vance, a man who usually looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ, was sweating through his bespoke shirt. He was frantically feeding stacks of thick, watermarked paper into an industrial cross-cut shredder.
"Good morning, Martin," Eleanor said.
Martin jumped, dropping a manila folder. "Eleanor. You shouldn't be here."
"I need Richard's burner phone records," Eleanor said, stepping into the room. "And I need an emergency injunction to unfreeze my accounts."
Martin didn't look at her. He bent down to pick up the dropped papers. "I can't represent you, Eleanor. Conflict of interest."
"You drafted my prenup, Martin. You are my representation."
"The firm represents the company," Martin stammered, wiping his brow. "And Arthur made it very clear that you are now adverse to the company."
Eleanor glanced at the shredder. A stray piece of paper rested on the plastic rim. It bore her own signature, dated five years ago.
He was shredding the original copy of her prenuptial agreement.
"Arthur bought you," Eleanor stated, her voice dead calm.
May you like
"He offered me a seat on the board post-IPO," Martin whispered. "I'm sorry, El. You need to settle. They will destroy you."
Eleanor didn't argue. She turned on her heel and walked out.
