Chapter 6 - THE PUBLIC HUMILIATION
By three o'clock that afternoon, news of the sudden executive purge at Vance Capital had spread like wildfire through the financial district of New York. Financial news crews and paparazzi gathered outside the hotel's main entrance, their camera lenses trained on the revolving glass doors.
Julian stepped out onto the granite steps, his charcoal suit jacket missing its designer cuff links, which had been repossessed as company property. Beside him, Veronica stumbled in her high heels, trying desperately to block her face from the flashing cameras with her arm.
"Mr. Vance! Is it true you've been removed as CEO for embezzling corporate funds?" a reporter shouted, thrusting a microphone toward his face.
"Julian! Did your wife freeze your private bank accounts after caught you at the hotel?" another journalist yelled from behind the security barricade.
Julian did not answer; he kept his head down, pushing his way through the crowd toward the street corner where a yellow taxi sat idling. He reached into his coat pocket to pull out his wallet, only to find three declined debit cards and a piece of paper listing his termination notice.
Veronica grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with fury as she looked at his empty hands. "You told me you owned this entire hotel chain, Julian! You told me you were a billionaire!"
"Shut up, Veronica!" Julian snapped, his voice cracking under the intense pressure of the surrounding cameras. "Just get in the cab and I'll call my personal lawyer!"
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The taxi driver looked out the window, staring at the disgraced executive with a flat, unimpressed expression. "Upfront payment only, pal. Ten dollars to cross the bridge."
Julian looked around in absolute desperation, his eyes landing on the scattered paper banknotes that a hotel janitor was currently sweeping off the lobby floor inside the glass doors.
