Chapter 347: Offer You Money

Chapter 347: Offer You Money
[Sarah]

The familiar scent of home—a mix of fresh flowers and the lingering aroma of cooking—should have been comforting, but my mind was still buzzing with adrenaline from this morning's confrontation. My knuckles were still tender from connecting with Nora's face, and honestly, I felt more satisfied than I had in weeks.

"Mom!" William's voice echoed from the living room as I dropped my purse by the entrance. He bounded toward me, but stopped short when he noticed my expression. "You look... different. Did something happen?"

Before I could answer, Mike appeared from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "How'd it go?" he asked, though his raised eyebrow suggested he already knew from my demeanor.

"It went exactly as planned. I slapped the bitch who deserves it." I said, flexing my sore fingers. "But that's not what I want to talk about right now. William, where's Emma?"

William's face brightened immediately. "Oh, that's what I wanted to tell you! Jason came by earlier and picked her up. Something about a reality show filming opportunity? He said he already got permission from her school and everything."

My stomach dropped. "He what?"

Mike pulled out his phone and showed me a text chain. "Jason sent these about an hour ago. Says he's arranged for Emma to participate in some teen entrepreneurship reality show. Already handled the school permissions, won't interfere with her academics."

"And Sarah," Mike's voice carried a warning tone, "you need to be careful about your temper. You're pregnant. That kind of stress—"

"Mike." I cut him off with a sharp look. "I punched someone else. How exactly would that affect my blood pressure? Generally, it's the person getting punched who ends up stressed."

William's eyes went wide. "Mom, you punched someone?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart," I said, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Just some adult business."

Mike shook his head, but I caught the hint of approval in his expression. "I'll give you that. But still, one beating doesn't seem like nearly enough for what she's put you through."

"Oh, that was just the first step." I leaned back in my chair, one hand instinctively moving to rest on my growing belly. "You think they're the only ones who can set traps? They've spent months underestimating me, thinking I'll just take whatever they dish out. Time to show them how wrong they are."

Mike leaned forward, suddenly very interested. "What exactly are you planning?"

"Need-to-know basis," I replied smoothly. "And right now, you don't need to know."

"Sarah." Mike's voice took on that protective tone that usually meant he was about to lecture me. "You're seven months pregnant. Your body is already under stress, and you should be focusing on staying healthy for the baby. Whatever revenge fantasies you're cooking up, they can wait until after the birth."

I stood up abruptly, pacing to the large windows that overlooked Central Park. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the room, and I found myself thinking about how shadows could hide so much.

The silence stretched between us for a moment before I glanced at my watch. Nearly noon—perfect timing.

"I have an appointment," I announced, grabbing my purse from where I'd dropped it. "I'll be back for dinner."

"Sarah, wait—" Mike started to stand, but I was already heading for the door.

"Take care of William. Order something nice for lunch."

I was out the door before he could protest further.

---

The restaurant Nathan had chosen was exactly the type of place I'd expected—expensive enough to make him feel important, but not quite exclusive enough to actually be impressive. I'd spent the entire car ride here thinking about how much my opinion of him had changed over the past year.

There was a time when Nathan Pierce Jr. seemed like the perfect catch. On paper, he had everything a woman could want. It had taken me months to see past the polished exterior to the weak, selfish, greedy man underneath.

The hostess led me to a private booth near the back, and I settled in to wait. I didn't have to wait long.

Nathan walked in five minutes later, his expensive suit perfectly tailored, his smile as charming as ever. But now I could see the calculation behind that smile, the way his eyes immediately went to my very obvious pregnancy.

"Sarah," he said, sliding into the booth across from me. "You look..." His gaze lingered on my belly. "Wow. You're really showing now. When are you due?"

"Soon enough," I replied evenly. "Thank you for meeting me."

"Of course." He signaled the waiter for a drink. "I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you. After everything that happened..." He trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

"How do you feel about children, Nathan?" I asked conversationally, as if we were discussing the weather.

He blinked, clearly not expecting that question. "Children? I... I like kids, I guess. Why?"

"Just curious." I took a sip of my water, watching his face carefully. "It's interesting how people's feelings about children can change depending on the circumstances."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Well, for instance," I continued in that same casual tone, "how did you feel about Wilson's baby? You know, before you helped Nora kill it?"

The color drained from Nathan's face so quickly I thought he might faint. His mouth opened and closed several times before any sound came out.

"Sarah, I don't know what you're talking about—"

"Nathan." I leaned forward slightly, my voice still perfectly calm. "I know exactly what happened. I know about Nora's involvement, about how she convinced you to help, about how Wilson ended up in that bathroom. The only thing I don't know is what they offered you."

He was sweating now, his perfectly styled hair starting to look disheveled. "I... Sarah, you have to understand, I never meant for anyone to get hurt—"

"No, you just wanted to 'teach Wilson a lesson,' right?" My voice sharpened slightly. "Humble her a little? Put him in her place?"

"Yes! Exactly!" Nathan grabbed onto that explanation like a lifeline. "I just wanted to knock her down a few pegs. I didn't know Nora would go that far. Wilson's death... that was suicide, Sarah. She chose to end his life."

"After being tortured and blinded by your accomplice."

"I didn't know she was going to—" He stopped, realizing he was digging himself deeper.

"So you decided the baby was worthless too."

"That's not—" He reached across the table as if to take my hand, but I pulled back. "Sarah, you have to believe me. You're the only woman I've ever truly cared about. The only one I've ever felt real emotion for."

I stared at him for a long moment, taking in his earnest expression, his desperate eyes. Then I laughed.

"Oh, Nathan. That's beautiful. Really touching." My voice dripped with sarcasm. "Of course I'm the only one you have feelings for now. Wilson is dead, Katherine is dead. There's no one left for you to manipulate for profit. So suddenly I'm special."

His face flushed red. "That's not fair—"

"What's not fair is what you did to an innocent person and their baby." I leaned back in my seat, studying his face. "But I didn't come here to listen to your guilty conscience or your convenient declarations of love."

"Then why are you here?"

I smiled, and something in my expression made him sit back slightly.

"I'm here to offer you money, Nathan. I need you to do something for me, and I'm willing to pay whatever price you name."