Chapter 2 - The House Always Wins
High above the casino floor, inside the three-story VIP penthouse, Julian poured himself a glass of three-thousand-dollar scotch. He felt like a god. He had finally shed the "dead weight" of his brilliant, demanding wife and replaced her with someone who didn't ask questions.
Lexi spun around the living room, trailing her fingers over the velvet sofas. “I can’t believe you actually threw her out, Julian. She looked so pathetic standing there.”
Julian chuckled, loosening his silk tie. “Victoria always thought she was the brains of the operation. Let her figure out how smart she is with frozen bank accounts and a canceled black card. By tomorrow morning, my lawyers will have her entirely boxed out of the company.”
He raised his glass to take a victorious sip.
Click.
The ambient jazz music playing through the penthouse sound system abruptly cut off.
Julian frowned. He walked over to the smart-home tablet mounted on the wall to reset the audio. The screen was completely black, save for a single, flashing red symbol: SYSTEM OVERRIDE. ACCESS DENIED.
“What the hell?” Julian muttered, tapping the glass violently.
Suddenly, the heavy mahogany double doors of the penthouse swung open without a knock.
Julian spun around, his face flushing with immediate rage. “Vance! What is the meaning of this? You don't enter my suite without clearance!”
Vance stood in the doorway, flanked by four heavily armed guards. His expression was carved from stone. He didn't look at Julian like a boss; he looked at him like a trespasser.
“I have clearance, Mr. Rossi,” Vance said, his voice dropping an octave. “But as of 11:58 PM, you do not.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Julian roared, slamming his scotch glass down. “I am the CEO of this resort! I own this building! I will have you fired, blacklisted, and thrown in jail!”
Vance pulled a sleek, encrypted tablet from his jacket and held it up. “You are the CEO of Obsidian Management LLC, a shell company that leases the operational rights to this building. But the physical property, the gaming licenses, and the master holding corporation belong entirely to Vanguard Enterprises. And as of two minutes ago, the board of Vanguard Enterprises has terminated your operational lease for gross misconduct.”
Lexi clutched the cashmere coat around her, her eyes darting between the men in a panic. “Julian, what is he talking about?”
Julian’s face drained of color. “Vanguard... Victoria’s maiden name is Vanguard. But that’s just a coincidence. Her family is old money from the East Coast, they don't own casinos!”
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“They own this one,” a cold, familiar voice echoed from the hallway.
The guards stepped aside. I walked into my penthouse, the frozen city wind still clinging to my hair. I wasn't shivering anymore. I felt nothing but absolute, terrifying power.
