Page 63 of Faking it with my Bad Boy Crush

"I'm not settling," I said quietly. "I'm not apologizing for exposing fraud, and I'm not letting Marcus rewrite this story."

Maya kissed me—soft, fierce, proud. "Good. Because the man I fell in love with wouldn't settle. He'd fight. Even when the odds are impossible."

8:58 AM.

We both turned to stare at the laptop, my finger hovering over the refresh button.

"Two minutes," Maya whispered.

My phone rang again. Richard Sterling this time.

I answered on speaker. "Richard, it's not 9 yet—"

"The results are early. The county clerk posted them at 8:55." His voice was tight with emotion. "Ethan, Maya—we won. The independent survey confirms everything. The baseline was falsified, exactly as you alleged. The property boundaries are clear—Maya's parking area is entirely on her property, has been for fifty years. The surveyor's report explicitly states that the previous survey contained deliberate errors designed to create a false boundary dispute."

My hands started shaking. Maya grabbed my arm, her eyes wide.

"The judge received the results ten minutes ago," Richard continued. "She's already issued a preliminary ruling dismissing the property dispute with prejudice and referring the matter to the county prosecutor for criminal investigation. Gerald Hutchins, the surveying company, and the investment group are all under investigation for fraud, conspiracy, and extortion."

"We won," I said, the words not quite feeling real. "The fraud is confirmed. Officially."

"More than confirmed. Documented. Undeniable. Provable in criminal court." Richard's voice filled with satisfaction. "Judge Morrison also issued a written opinion praising your legal work, Ethan. She specifically noted that your disclosure of internal communications, while ethically complicated, was instrumental in protecting Ms. Romano's business and exposing systematic fraud. She's recommending the state bar consider the circumstances when evaluating your case."

Maya was crying now—happy tears, relief, vindication. I pulled her close, holding her while Richard continued talking.

"This doesn't guarantee you'll keep your license," Richard cautioned. "The ethics investigation will still happen. Marcus's civil suit still exists. But this ruling changes everything. You weren't just a lawyer who stole documents. You were a whistleblower who exposed criminal fraud. That distinction matters."

After Richard hung up, Maya and I sat holding each other, processing what we'd just heard.

We won. The fraud was confirmed. Maya's bakery was protected. Everything I'd sacrificed had been worth it.

"I need to call Marcus," I said, pulling out my phone. "Before his deadline."

"Are you going to gloat?" Maya asked, wiping tears from her face.

"No. I'm going to tell him his offer is rejected. Politely but firmly."

I dialed Marcus's number, and he answered on the first ring.

"Have you made your decision?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm rejecting your settlement offer. I'm not apologizing for exposing fraud, and I'm not paying damages for doing the right thing." I kept my voice calm, professional. "The independent survey just confirmed everything I alleged in court. The baseline was falsified. The property dispute was manufactured. Your investment group coordinated a criminal fraud campaign. All of it is now officially documented and referred for prosecution."

Silence on the other end.

"The state bar will still investigate my document disclosure," I continued. "And you can still pursue your civil suit if you want. But now everyone knows the truth: I wasn't stealing documents to harm the firm. I was preserving evidence of criminal fraud. That's whistleblowing, Marcus. Not theft."

"You're making a mistake—" Marcus started.

"No. I'm standing by my principles. Something you might try sometime." I paused. "Your deadline expires in six minutes. I suggest you spend that time preparing for the criminal investigation instead of harassing me."

I hung up before he could respond.

Maya stared at me with something like awe. "That was incredibly satisfying to watch."

"I'm getting better at standing up for myself." I pulled her close again. "Might have something to do with having a reason to fight."

My phone started buzzing with notifications—news alerts, emails, messages from other lawyers. The survey results were public now, and the legal community was responding.