Chapter 7: The Collapse of Privilege
Panic spread through the grand hall like wildfire. Marcus scrambled backward, fumbling for his smartphone in his tuxedo pocket, desperately dialing his chief financial officer and corporate legal counsel.
“Cancel the accounts! File an injunction!” Marcus screamed into his phone, his voice cracking with rising hysteria as the reality of his situation set in.
A cold, robotic voice answered from his speakerphone: “Sir, all company accounts associated with your name have been frozen under federal emergency orders initiated by Sterling Global Holdings. Your corporate credit cards have been declined. Access to all servers has been revoked.”
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Marcus dropped his phone. It clattered loudly against the polished marble floor, the screen cracking into a spiderweb of glass. He looked up at Richard, realizing too late who his father-in-law actually was. Sterling Global Holdings wasn't just a competitor; they were the majority stakeholder in Marcus’s own holding firm, holding the debt notes that financed his entire lifestyle.
Richard didn't even bother looking down at him. He turned his full, gentle attention to Lily, stepping past the ruined husband as if he were nothing more than dust on the floor.
