Chapter 4 - The Trials of Retribution
Margaret fell into a chair, gasping for air as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. "The Escalante emerald... The necklace... It belonged to your family?"
"My grandfather bought that necklace at a Paris auction fifty years ago," I said, my voice cutting through the room like cold steel. "I allowed your family to borrow it for high-society galas to keep up the illusion that the Vance family had old money. But three days ago, my security team caught Brenda entering your vault and moving the necklace to a private safety deposit box under her own name."
Andrew slowly turned his head toward Brenda, his eyes wide with fury. "Brenda? You... you said Mariana stole it!"
"Andrew, I... I can explain!" Brenda stammered, sweating through her scarlet gown. "I just wanted to keep it safe! I thought... I thought if she took the blame, you would divorce her faster!"
"You stupid b*tch!" Andrew roared, lunging toward her, but my security guards immediately grabbed his arms, slamming him back into his seat.
"Sit down, Mr. Vance," I commanded. "This is a corporate boardroom, not the domestic cage you ran for four years. You don't get to lay a hand on anyone here."
Andrew looked at me, tears finally spilling over his eyelids. He fell from his chair, crawling on his hands and knees toward the head of the table—exactly the way he had ordered me to do the night before.
"Mariana, please!" he begged, trying to reach for my shoes. "I was blind! I was manipulated by Brenda and my mother! They kept whispering lies in my ear! I love you, Mariana. We’re husband and wife! Think about the four years we shared! I’ll do anything. I’ll publicly apologize on the news! Just give me back the company!"
I looked down at him, my expression entirely empty. "When you struck me last night, Andrew, you didn't just break my skin. You broke the illusion that you were a human being. You are nothing but a parasite that grew too proud of the blood it was sucking."
I turned to the board members. "Effective immediately, Vance Global is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. All assets will be liquidated to pay off the debts owed to the Escalante Trust. The Vance name will be stripped from every building, every project, and every charity foundation in this city."
"As for you, Andrew," I continued, signaling to the door. Two federal investigators walked in, holding a folder of financial audits. "You have been found guilty of using corporate funds to buy luxury properties for your mistress, which constitutes grand embezzlement and tax fraud. The Escalante legal team will ensure you receive the maximum penalty."
"No! Mariana! Please!" Andrew screamed as the investigators pulled him up and locked the handcuffs around his wrists.
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Margaret collapsed onto the floor, weeping hysterically as her entire world of pride shattered into irrecoverable pieces. Brenda tried to slip out the back door, but two police officers were already waiting for her with a warrant for grand theft regarding the emerald necklace.
I stood up, picking up my brown bag. "Meeting adjourned."
