Chapter 3: The Boardroom Coup
The following forty-eight hours were a whirlwind of legal maneuvering. Lucas, desperate and erratic, tried to call his contacts, but the Vane influence had evaporated overnight. Isabella had systematically severed their ties to every bank, every supplier, and every major contract.
She spent the time in the penthouse office of the primary Valerius tower, surrounded by a team of analysts. They sat with files detailing the Vanes’ history of embezzlement and tax fraud. Isabella didn't have to work hard to destroy them; she just had to expose the corruption they had built their empire on.
"Ma'am, the Vanes are requesting a meeting," her assistant noted, holding a tablet. "They say it's about... 'family matters'."
Isabella didn't even look up from her screen. "Tell them family matters were settled when they threw divorce papers in my face. The only meeting happening now is with the SEC."
Lucas called her forty times in one day. When she finally answered, she didn't let him speak.
"I remember the day you married me, Lucas," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion. "You told me I was lucky to have you. You told me that I owed you everything because you gave me a life. But you never gave me a life. You tried to build a cage. You just didn't realize that I owned the ground the cage was sitting on."
"I can change, Isabella!" Lucas screamed, his voice cracking with the realization that he was losing his lifestyle, his prestige, and his home. "We can work this out! Think about the child—Sophie’s child!"
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"Sophie’s child is not my problem," Isabella replied. "And you? You’re just a footnote in my success story."
She hung up, satisfied. The Vane empire was liquidated by the end of the week. The estate, the cars, the accounts—it was all seized to cover the massive debts Isabella had maneuvered them into. They were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the bitter taste of their own arrogance.
