Chapter 4 - The Vail Facade
(Perspective Shift: Marcus in Vail)
Marcus Sterling stood in the opulent lobby of the Vail luxury resort, brushing snow off his designer ski jacket. His twin sons were sitting by the massive stone fireplace, glued to their tablets.
Marcus felt nothing but triumph. He had successfully orchestrated his escape. Sarah was thousands of miles away on a ship, the annoying adopted brat was locked away, and the Cayman accounts were ready to receive five million dollars. He was free.
He approached the mahogany front desk with a charming smile.
"Reservation for Sterling. The Presidential Suite," Marcus said smoothly, handing over his platinum credit card.
The concierge smiled politely and swiped the card. The machine beeped harshly.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling. The card was declined."
Marcus frowned. "That's impossible. Run it again. It has no limit."
The concierge swiped it again. Another harsh beep.
"Sir, the system is showing the account has been frozen by the issuer."
Annoyed, Marcus pulled out his backup card—a corporate card tied to the Sterling Trust’s real estate holdings. "Fine. Use this one."
The concierge swiped it. The computer screen flashed a bright red error message. The concierge’s smile faded. "Mr. Sterling, this card is also declining. In fact, there is an alert on this account to confiscate the card immediately."
Before Marcus could protest, the concierge snipped the card with a pair of scissors hidden beneath the desk.
"What are you doing?!" Marcus shouted, drawing the attention of the wealthy guests in the lobby. "Do you know who I am? I own half of Denver!"
"Sir, please lower your voice," the manager said, stepping out from a back office. "I'm afraid we cannot check you in. Furthermore, the private jet charter company just called. They canceled your return flight due to a failure to secure payment."
Marcus stepped back, his heart suddenly hammering against his ribs. This was impossible. The trust was ironclad. His grandfather had made sure of it.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his cousin David’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
Panic began to set in. He dialed his aunt Helen.
May you like
"The number you have reached is no longer in service," the automated voice replied.
Marcus stared at his phone. The walls of his carefully constructed empire were suddenly closing in, and he had no idea why.
