Chapter 5 - The Financial Guillotine
The murmurs sweeping through the ballroom sounded like a disturbed hornets' nest.
Julian grabbed the edge of the podium, his knuckles turning entirely white.
“Clara, please, this is a massive misunderstanding,” he begged, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
“I can explain everything if we just talk in private.”
“There is nothing to explain,” I replied, crossing my arms.
Harrison walked up to stand beside me, pulling his tablet out of his jacket pocket.
“Julian Vance, Managing Director of Vanguard Investments,” Harrison read aloud, his tone mocking and cruel.
“A company that has been secretly kept afloat for five years by anonymous angel investors.”
Julian looked like he was going to vomit right there on the stage.
“Did you really think you built this empire yourself?” Harrison laughed sharply.
“We own every single share, every single asset, and every single cent in your bank accounts.”
Harrison pressed a single button on his screen.
Simultaneously, the cell phones of every corporate partner in the room began to buzz frantically.
Men in expensive suits pulled out their phones, their expressions morphing from confusion to absolute panic.
“Vanguard just filed for immediate bankruptcy!” an older man in the front row shouted.
“All their assets are frozen by Sterling Holdings!”
Chaos erupted in the ballroom.
Investors were shouting, demanding answers, realizing their money was tied to a sinking ship.
Julian fell to his knees on the stage.
“Please, Harrison, you can't do this to me!” Julian cried out, abandoning all his pride.
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“I ruined nothing!” Harrison snapped back.
“You ruined yourself the second you betrayed a Sterling.”
