Chapter 2 - The Fallout on Wall Street
By 8:00 AM the following morning, the video of the "Wedding Slap" had gone completely viral across social media. On Facebook, the footage amassed over twenty million views in a matter of hours. The public outrage was immediate and fierce. Activists, parenting groups, and ordinary citizens demanded justice for the young boy, while commentators labeled Julian Vance the most despised man in the country.
Evelyn sat in the high-rise office of her family’s maritime logistics firm, Sterling Global. She had traded her ruined wedding dress for a sharp, tailored navy suit. Her eyes were bloodshot from a sleepless night, but her hands were steady as she poured a cup of black coffee. Opposite her sat Marcus Vance, Julian’s estranged cousin and the black sheep of the Vance family. Unlike Julian, Marcus was quiet, calculating, and possessed a brilliant legal mind.
"The Vance Enterprises stock dropped twelve percent at the opening bell," Marcus said, sliding a tablet across the glass desk. "Investors are pulling out. The board is in an absolute panic. Julian is currently locked in his penthouse refusing to speak to the media."
"Good," Evelyn said, her voice devoid of emotion. "But a drop in stock isn't enough. I want him entirely removed from the corporate ladder. I want him stripped of his titles, his shares, and his dignity."
Marcus leaned forward, locking eyes with her. "You know that if we push the Vance family into a corner, Julian will fight dirty. He still holds the deed to the port lands your family needs for the Atlantic shipping routes. If he blocks your ships, Sterling Global will take a massive financial hit too."
"Let him try," Evelyn replied coldly. "He thinks Leo is my weakness. He doesn't realize that Leo is the reason I am invincible. I will burn my own house down if it means burying Julian under the ashes."
Just then, Evelyn's phone buzzed. It was an unknown number. She answered, placing it on speaker.
"Evelyn," Julian’s voice sneered through the line, raspy and arrogant despite the chaos surrounding him. "You think you won last night because you walked out? Look outside your window. I control this city's infrastructure. You have exactly twenty-four hours to issue a public statement saying the video was a misunderstanding, or I will freeze every single asset the Sterling family owns."
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Evelyn didn't blink. "Julian, you should have spent less time adjusting your cufflinks last night and more time reading your prenuptial agreement. Check your personal bank accounts. I think you'll find they're already frozen."
She hung up before he could respond, leaving Julian staring at a dead line in his empty penthouse.
