Chapter Forty

Claire stood at the café's entryway, looking around for Samantha. Her thoughts were a swirl of fear and wrath, with Emily's legal lawsuit still fresh in her memory. Samantha was sitting in a corner seat, sipping her coffee with a serious look. Claire took a long breath before slipping onto the seat opposite her.

Samantha glanced up, her gaze narrowing slightly. "You look like hell, Claire."

"Gee, thanks," Claire said, her tone sarcastic. "I feel the same way. Emily has got me cornered, Sam."

Samantha took another sip of coffee, her expression contemplative. "We knew she might fight back, but we didn't expect her to go this far this quickly."

Claire leaned forwards, her eyes begging. "What do we do?" If this gets to court, I risk losing everything. "My job, my reputation, everything is on the line."

Samantha drummed her fingers on the table, contemplating their choices. "We need to undermine her and make her appear like the one who is lying. However, we'll need more than just words thi