Chapter 14: The £5 Million Lawsuit
1223 Words
Elise’s hands shook holding the papers.
DEFAMATION. MALICIOUS FALSEHOOD. DAMAGES: £5,000,000.
“Do you understand the claim?” the man asked.
She nodded. She didn’t.
He left.
She sat on her floor.
He was hitting back. Before she could hit him.
Her phone was ringing. Leo. Again.
She ignored it.
Called Priya.
“He’s suing me,” Elise said. No hello.
“I know,” Priya said. “I just got served too. It’s a SLAPP. He’s trying to scare you into silence before we use the drive.”
“The drive,” Elise said. “We have it?”
“We have it,” Priya said. “Meeting in 1 hour. Bring everything.”
---
10am. Priya’s office.
The drive was small. Black. On Priya’s desk.
Dr. Blake was on video call. “That’s it,” she said. “The email. ‘Looking forward to our arrangement.’ Time stamped. From his account.”
Elise stared at it. “This is it.”
“This is it,” Priya said. “We file this as evidence in his lawsuit. And we file a counter-claim. Harassment. Retaliation.”
Elise exhaled. “How long?”
“2 weeks to file,” Priya said. “Then we wait.”
2 more weeks.
Elise nodded.
Her phone buzzed.
Leo: Please answer me. I’m scared.
---
That night.
She couldn’t avoid him anymore.
He was at her door.
“You’re not answering,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s bad, Leo.”
“What’s bad?”
She let him in. Handed him the papers.
He read. His jaw tightened.
“£5 million,” he said. “For what? Telling the truth?”
“For defaming him,” she said. “A billionaire.”
Leo set the papers down. “Who is he?”
Elise looked at him. “A man with a lot of power.”
“Give me a name,” he said.
She hesitated.
If she said it now, everything would change.
“I can’t,” she said. “Not yet. Please.”
He stared at her. “Elise. You’re in trouble. Let me help.”
“You can’t,” she said. “This is my fight.”
“Why won’t you tell me?” he asked. Voice hurt.
“Because I’m scared,” she said. “Scared of what happens after I do.”
He stepped closer. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You don’t know that,” she whispered.
“I do,” he said. “Kiss me and see.”
She did.
Desperate. Tired. Real.
He held her like he could keep the lawsuit away with his arms.
“I hate seeing you like this,” he said against her hair.
“I hate being like this,” she said.
---
The next 2 weeks.
Priya filed the counter-claim. Attached the drive.
CROSS GROUP v. HART / HART v. CROSS GROUP
News picked it up.
BILLIONAIRE SUES DOCTOR FOR DEFAMATION. DOCTOR COUNTER-SUES WITH EVIDENCE.
Comments were split.
She’s lying.
He’s trying to silence her.
Elise did 2 interviews. Careful. No names. “A powerful donor.”
Damian didn’t respond publicly.
But her tires were slashed.
Her mail was opened.
Someone followed Maeve home.
Police said: “No proof it’s connected.”
Elise moved back to Leo’s. “Just until this is over,” she said.
He didn’t argue.
They barely slept. She was on calls all day. He made food. Sat with her.
One night she broke down.
“I can’t do this,” she said.
“Yes, you can,” he said. “You’re the strongest person I know.”
“What if I lose?”
“Then we lose together,” he said.
She looked at him. “Why are you here? Really?”
“Because I love you,” he said. Simple.
Elise froze.
He didn’t take it back.
“I love you too,” she said. And meant it.
He kissed her. Long.
---
Friday. Day before filing deadline.
Priya called. “We’re ready. Everything is in. The drive. The statements. The letters.”
Elise nodded. “Okay.”
That night, Leo took her to the bookstore.
Closed. Just them.
He had wine. And cheese. And a blanket.
“I wanted one good night before... whatever happens next,” he said.
She smiled. “Me too.”
They talked until midnight.
About the future. About clinics. About books.
About anything but the lawsuit.
At 12:30am he said: “Elise.”
“Yeah?”
“I need to tell you something.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Okay,” she said.
“My dad...” he started.
Her heart stopped.
The door downstairs slammed.
Both of them froze.
Footsteps.
Someone was in the bookstore.
Leo stood. “Stay here.”
He went downstairs.
Elise heard voices. Low. Angry.
Then Leo’s voice: “Get out. Now.”
A man’s voice: “This is private property.”
“It’s my friend’s shop,” Leo said. “And you’re trespassing.”
More talking.
Then silence.
Leo came back up. Face pale.
“Who was that?” Elise asked.
“Just... security,” he said. “Checking the building.”
He was lying.
She could see it.
“Elise,” he said. “About my dad—”
Her phone rang. Priya.
She answered.
“Elise,” Priya said. “We have a problem. Damian’s team filed an emergency motion. Hearing is Monday. They’re trying to get the drive thrown out.”
Elise closed her eyes.
“Okay,” she said. “We’ll fight it.”
She hung up.
Looked at Leo.
“Monday,” she said.
“What?” he asked.
“Court. Again.”
He nodded. “I’ll be there.”
“You can’t,” she said.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not safe,” she said. “For you.”
He frowned. “Elise. What aren’t you telling me?”
She opened her mouth.
Closed it.
“I’ll tell you Monday,” she said. “After.”
He looked hurt. “Okay.”
---
They didn’t sleep.
Monday morning. 8am.
Royal Courts of Justice again.
Elise in black. Priya beside her.
Across: Damian. Holloway.
And in the back row.
Leo.
He came anyway.
Elise saw him and her heart broke.
The judge came in.
“We are here regarding an emergency motion to exclude evidence submitted by Dr. Hart,” he said.
Holloway stood. “My lord, the drive was obtained illegally. It should be excluded.”
Priya stood. “My lord, it was obtained via court order. It is admissible.”
The judge looked at both.
“I will rule by end of day,” he said.
Gavel.
Elise walked out.
Leo was waiting.
“Elise,” he said.
She stopped.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“I know,” she said.
“About my dad,” he said.
She nodded.
“Tell me,” he said.
She took a breath.
“Leo, your father is—”
“Mr. Cross!”
Damian’s voice. Behind them.
He walked past. Didn’t look at Leo. Didn’t look at Elise.
But he said: “Leo. Car.”
And kept walking.
Elise went cold.
Leo went pale.
“Leo?” she whispered.
He looked at her. Then at Damian’s back.
“s**t,” he whispered.
- Writer
