Chapter 5: The Snake's Venom
Three weeks passed. The medical world was rocked by the sudden and brutal collapse of Apex Medical Labs. It was a corporate execution so swift and flawless that business magazines wrote articles about it, though the true reason behind the acquisition remained fiercely guarded by the Vance Group's PR firm.
Dominic was living in a dingy, hourly-rate motel on the outskirts of the city. His BMW had been repossessed, his cards were dead, and his phone was ringing off the hook with collection agencies.
Natalie sat on the edge of the stained motel bed, her roots growing in, her expensive manicure chipped to pieces. She was no longer the glamorous, sweet mistress. She was a feral animal cornered in a cage.
"You told me you were a genius, Dominic!" she screamed, throwing a plastic cup at his head. "You told me you were going to take her trust fund and build an empire! Now I'm evicted from my condo, my bags are gone, and I'm pregnant with a baby that’s going to be born in a state hospital!"
Dominic stared out the cracked window, his eyes bloodshot. "Shut up, Natalie. Just shut up."
"I won't shut up! We have to fight back! Audrey thinks she’s untouchable because she’s a Vance? Let’s see how the public feels about a multi-billionaire family destroying a small business and leaving a pregnant woman and a hardworking father with absolutely nothing!"
Dominic’s gaze sharpened. A desperate, toxic idea began to take root in his mind.
"The media," Dominic whispered. "The internet."
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"Exactly!" Natalie said, rushing over to him, her eyes flashing with malice. "The public hates rich people. If we go to the tabloids—if we go live on social media and tell them that Audrey Vance used her family’s billions to fake a medical emergency, cut off her husband, and ruin his company out of pure spite... we can destroy their reputation. The Vance Group is a public company. Their stock will plummet. Old man Arthur will force her to settle with us just to make the bad press go away!"
Dominic stood up, a sick, desperate grin spreading across his face. He had lost everything, which meant he had nothing left to fear. "Get your phone, Natalie. Let’s call the biggest celebrity gossip network in the city. Let’s show the world what a monster Audrey Vance really is."
