Confidential

Chapter Thirteen

Silence hung between them, thick and tense. The soft red lighting carved their faces into sharp contrast. Sari stood her ground while Matthew leaned against the edge of the marble counter, studying her like she was a puzzle he wasn’t sure he wanted to solve yet.

Finally, he broke the silence. “Alright, Doctor. You have my attention. Let’s hear it.”

Sari lifted her chin slightly. “I’m here to talk about your lawsuit against Howard Women’s and Children’s Clinic. You’re suing us for twenty million dollars in damages. I came to offer a way to resolve this privately.”

He swirled the whiskey in his glass lazily. “Privately, as in without lawyers or headlines?”

“Exactly,” she said. “You and I both know a public case benefits no one. The moment this goes to court, your name drags through the mud again, and the media will have a field day with your ‘confidential arrangements.’”

Matthew’s eyes flickered with mild interest. “Go on.”

“I’m offering you a public apology from the clinic,” Sari said, voice steady and professional. “A statement acknowledging that a breach may have occurred without naming details. It’ll paint you as the victim of an unfortunate error, preserve your public image, and close the narrative before it spreads further.”

He tilted his head slightly. “And the money?”

Sari took a breath. “Fifty million pesos. That’s the most we can offer.”

For a brief moment, he said nothing. Then, slowly, he smiled. “Fifty million pesos,” he repeated, the way one might taste a word before spitting it out. “That’s barely one-tenth of my claim, Doctor.”

“It’s what we can afford,” she replied, her voice cool but firm. “We’re a private clinic, not a corporation. And you’ve made your point already. The damage is done. But if this goes to trial, you’ll be dragging every other name connected to that clinic with you. Are you ready for that fallout?”

Matthew chuckled softly, the sound low and dangerous. “You’re threatening me now?”

“I’m giving you reality,” Sari said. “You expose us, you expose your peers. The same men who use your clubs, fund your companies, and owe you favors. You think they’ll thank you for dragging them into your mess?”

He paused, his smirk faltering for a second. “You’re gutsy, Doctor.”

“I’m practical,” she shot back. “And I care about protecting what my parents built. I’m not going to let their name get destroyed over a scandal you could’ve contained with a phone call.”

Matthew set his glass down, stepping closer. His voice dropped. “You talk like you’re the one in control.”

Sari met his gaze without flinching. “I am. At least right now. Because I’m the only one in this room offering you a way to win quietly.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You know what I think?”

She folded her arms. “I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“I think you don’t really understand the position you’re in,” he said slowly. “You walked into my world, uninvited, wearing the color of danger, and you think you can negotiate with me like I’m some patient in your exam room. You’re standing in front of the man who owns half this city’s screens. If I decide your family’s clinic goes down, it will.”

His words were calm, but they carried weight. Power.

Sari didn’t back down. “Then do it. Go ahead, destroy us. Prove you’re as small as everyone says you are. But if you do, you’re not just killing a clinic. You’re telling the whole country that the great Matthew Elizalde sues women’s doctors because he can’t control his mistresses.”

For the first time, his expression shifted. It wasn’t anger. It was amusement mixed with something else, a hint of respect.

“You’ve got claws,” he said softly.

Sari’s lips curved, faint and humorless. “No. I’ve got integrity. Something you probably can’t buy.”

He studied her for a long moment, the air between them thick enough to hum. Then he smiled again, slower this time, almost genuine.

“You really think fifty million and a press statement will make me walk away?”

“I think you care more about your image than your ego,” she replied. “So yes.”

Matthew moved closer, close enough that she could smell his cologne, rich and expensive, threaded with whiskey. His voice was quiet when he said, “You’re dangerous when you believe yourself right.”

“And you’re dangerous when you think you’re untouchable,” she replied without hesitation.

He smiled again, faint but with a glint that said this wasn’t over. “You’ve got nerve, Doctor. I’ll give you that. I’ll think about your offer.”

“That’s all I need,” she said.

He nodded slowly, then leaned in just enough for his breath to brush her ear. “Next time, don’t wear red if you’re trying to keep things professional.”

Sari’s heart lurched, but her voice stayed cool. “Next time, keep your ego out of your pants.”

He laughed, genuine this time, stepping back. “You’re going to be fun.”

Sari turned toward the door, pulse hammering, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered.

She had walked into the lion’s den and somehow walked out without being eaten. But as the door closed behind her, she knew this was only round one.