She’s in it for the money and nothing else. Granted, Dax did in fact sleep with her, but there’s no law or rule against that. He wasn’t representing the organization in any official capacity, and he had no power or authority to make her any promises. Erik swears he never touched her, and Sebastian reported her directly to Christian after she tried to offer him oral sex in a job interview. She claims Sebastian demanded it from her in exchange for a job, but I don’t believe it. If that were the case, why would he have left his office immediately after and went directly to Christian to inform him about what happened?
Bottom line, I know these men.
They are my men and my loyalty is to them. Not to mention, through extensive investigation and interviews, we’ve been able to confirm this Nanette is plain batshit crazy and always coming up with get-rich-quick schemes. On top of that, she has a criminal history of petty theft and forgery. I’d stack her credibility against my guys any day of the week.
Regardless, the mediation today is simply an attempt to see if we can settle the matter. It’s something the courts prefer for expediency.
Prior to today, Fred Gruber had met with us to explain the process and what would occur. First, there would be a presentation by Nanette’s attorney to lay out their case and why they believe she’s entitled to compensation. Then Fred would have his chance to detail our defense and why we believe she’s not entitled to anything. After their speeches, a neutral mediator will supposedly work their magic to enter us into negotiations and agree upon a sum that is fair to all sides.
Fred had ordered us to keep our mouths shut, our expressions bland, and our tempers under control. It’s going to be hard to do, that’s for sure. Especially listening to this woman tell lies, knowing she expects me to reach into my wallet to hand her money.
The mediator is a recently retired older attorney who wears a bow tie and suspenders. He opens by making a few remarks about the importance of the mediation process and how we need to be respectful to both sides. Not a problem. I’m a businessman, after all, and I understand the art of negotiations.
The fight bell metaphorically rings when Nanette’s attorney clears his throat, then launches into his presentation of their case. It’s tough to listen as he methodically lays out supposed facts I know to be blatant lies, but Gruber will remind the group she has targeted people with bogus civil lawsuits before. Our investigation into her background yielded a lot of helpful information.
The nape of my neck heats a bit when he starts to recount how much his client has been traumatized. How she’s incurred immense pain and suffering. Nanette ducks her head as she toys with her necklace, a slight smirk on her face. This claim will also be shot down by Gruber, as our investigators have followed her around, and the woman is anything but traumatized. She leads a highly social life with lots of partying and flirting toward the opposite sex going on. In my opinion, she’s looking for her next mark. In addition, we’ve uncovered the fact she’s been shopping for high-end real estate, which she cannot afford in her current financial state. She’s attempting to spend her payday before it’s even received.
By the time her attorney wraps things up, my fingers are curled tightly around the armrests of my chair.
“In conclusion…” he says with a great deal of self-importance. Nanette meets my eyes as he continues, “We’d be willing to drop the lawsuit and settle this claim—for four million dollars. I’m sure you’ll agree it is far less than what she deserves for what she’s been through.”
Nanette lifts her chin, a confident smile gracing her face. She knows I’m the one with the fat checkbook, and she doesn’t have a doubt in her mind that I’m going to pay what she wants.
Our attorney scribbles a few notes on his legal pad, then puts on a bit of an act by looking up and seeming surprised they’ve finished their presentation—as if it wasn’t important enough to listen to—but I happen to know he was soaking in every word.
He clears his throat, sets his pen down, and clasps his hands on the table as he gives the other attorney a hard look. “While I appreciate your client’s perspective on what she thinks happened, we believe—”
“Hold up,” I say, straightening in my seat. As of yet, Nanette’s gaze remains locked on me, but now her scrutiny intensifies. I break eye contact to address Gruber. “I’m sorry, Fred, but I need to say something.”
“I’d really advise against it,” he states, but his tone conveys he’s aware I won’t listen.