Chapter 4 - The Denial
Miles away, inside the glass and steel palace that was Thorne Enterprises, Liam sat in his penthouse office, swirling premium bourbon.
His initial rage had subsided, replaced by a smug arrogance. Mariana would come back. She always did.
He pulled his phone from his desk, expecting a barrage of texts begging forgiveness.
Instead, his screen displayed the emergency "No Service" icon. Strange for a private network.
He tried his desk phone, intending to call his private pilot to fuel the jet for a morning apology trip to the Hamptons.
The line gave a rapid, aggressive busy signal. He couldn't call out. No one could call in.
His secretary, usually stationed in the outer office at this late hour, was gone, her lights extinguished.
A notification flashed silently on his corporate iPad—not an email, but a system-wide alert regarding a SEC freezing order against joint assets.
May you like
Panic, sharp and cold, pierced his chest. This wasn't just a domestic dispute. This was an institutional liquidation event.
He stumbled to the window, watching with horror as a fleet of unmarked SUVs converged on the plaza entrance below.
