Chapter 3 - The Reckoning
When Victoria arrived at the glass-paneled headquarters of Vance Construction, she found the lobby in utter chaos. Security guards she didn’t recognize were standing at the elevators, and employees were holding cardboard boxes.
She pushed past the guards, screaming about lawsuits, and burst into Dominic’s corner office. What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.
Dominic was slumped in his leather chair, his head in his hands, looking like a man facing a firing squad. Standing opposite him was Sophia Sterling, the most ruthless corporate attorney in the state. She was flanked by two forensic accountants and a team of men in sharp suits.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Victoria shrieked. “I will have you all arrested for trespassing! This is my son’s company!”
Sophia slowly turned to face Victoria, an expression of profound pity and absolute disgust on her face. She adjusted her designer glasses and picked up a thick stack of legal documents.
“Actually, Mrs. Vance, it is not,” Sophia said, her voice dripping with lethal calm. “For the past two years, Vance Construction has been kept afloat by a private equity injection from Sterling Holdings. According to the contracts your son signed when he was begging for a bailout, Sterling Holdings owns a sixty-two percent controlling stake in this firm.”
Dominic looked up, his eyes bloodshot. “I thought Sterling Holdings was an anonymous venture capital group. My broker said—”
“Your broker was instructed to maintain strict confidentiality,” Sophia interrupted smoothly. “As the majority shareholder, my client has authorized the immediate liquidation of her assets. We are recalling the emergency loans. As of this morning, Vance Construction is insolvent.”
“Your client?” Victoria laughed nervously, a shrill, unpleasant sound. “Who is this mysterious client? Tell them I want a meeting. We are wealthy people; we can negotiate.”
Sophia didn’t smile. She slid a single sheet of paper across the mahogany desk. It was the original master contract for the bailout. At the bottom, next to the seal of the holding company, was a single, elegant signature.
Audrey Vance.
Victoria’s jaw dropped. The color completely drained from her face. “No. No, that’s impossible. That pathetic little mouse didn't have a dime to her name. She wore off-rack clothes! She drove a used sedan!”
“She wore those clothes because she didn't care about material validation,” Sophia corrected sharply. “Audrey is the sole heir to an eighty-million-dollar trust left by her late father. She bought your debt because she loved her husband and wanted him to succeed on his own merits. But since you decided to assault her and terminate her pregnancy, she has decided to terminate your lifestyle.”
May you like
Sophia tapped the desk. “Oh, and one more thing. The mansion is owned by the holding company as collateral. You have exactly four hours to vacate the premises before the police arrive to enforce the eviction. Have a nice day.”
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