Chapter 9 - The Fallout
The silence that followed the recording was absolute. You could hear a pin drop on the marble floor of the lobby. Every camera pivoted instantly from my face to the back of the room, focusing squarely on Julian Vance.
Julian’s face was unrecognizable. All the blood had drained from his features, leaving him looking like a statue of pure, vengeful rage. His fists were clenched at his sides so hard his knuckles were purple. He had heard the voice of the woman he was supposed to marry in two weeks—the woman who had comforted him through his "grief"—admitting to destroying his family.
Reporters began shouting over each other in a frenzy. "Mr. Vance! Did you know about this recording?" "Mr. Vance, will the wedding to Ms. Sterling still take place?" "Is the Vance Corp going to sue Sterling Hospitality?"
Julian ignored the reporters completely. He pushed past the cameras, marching straight toward my podium. The crowd parted for him like the Red Sea. He stopped two feet in front of me, his breathing ragged, his chest heaving under his suit jacket.
"Why didn't you play this for me last night?" he choked out, his voice barely audible over the clamor of the press.
"Because last night, you brought me to a dinner table to be judged by the very women who executed my banishment," I said softly, stepping away from the microphone so our conversation remained private. "You needed to see the truth in the daylight, Julian. Now you have it."
Before he could respond, my PR manager stepped to the podium, thanking the press and declaring the conference over. Security guards escorted the media out of the lobby, leaving only my staff, Julian, and his stunned lawyers.
Julian turned to his lead attorney, Marcus, his voice cold as liquid nitrogen. "Draft a statement. The engagement to Victoria Sterling is terminated effectively immediately. And Marcus?"
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"Yes, Mr. Vance?" the lawyer asked, looking terrified.
"Freeze every joint asset, cancel every contract Vance Corp holds with Sterling Hospitality, and file a criminal report with the District Attorney for wire fraud, harassment, and coercion against Victoria Sterling and my mother, Eleanor Vance."
