Chapter 7
Across town at a budget motel near LaGuardia Airport, Lucas and Chloe were engaged in a screaming match.
Luggage was strewn across the stained carpet, and Chloe's expensive wedding dress was crumpled in the corner.
"You told me your family owned half of Manhattan!" Chloe shrieked, throwing a plastic ice bucket at the wall.
"My mother sold her beach house in Florida just to pay for my dress and the rehearsal dinner!"
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, his silver bowtie hanging loose around his neck.
"Shut up, Chloe! I'm trying to figure this out!" Lucas yelled back, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.
"My father is going to handle this as soon as he gets the corporate attorneys involved!"
His smartphone buzzed on the nightstand, displaying an incoming call from his private wealth manager.
Lucas snatched the phone, pressing it eagerly to his ear. "Tell me the accounts are unfrozen, Steven!"
"I'm calling to inform you that Vella Global has filed an emergency injunction against you, Lucas," the manager reported dryly.
"All credit lines associated with your name have been permanently terminated."
"Furthermore, the IRS has placed a lien on your Miami penthouse due to unpaid luxury asset taxes."
Lucas dropped the phone onto the carpet, staring blankly at the wall as the reality of his situation set in.
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Chloe watched his reaction, her eyes narrowing as her initial panic turned into cold, calculating disdain.
"You don't have a single dollar left of your own, do you?" she asked softly.
