Chapter 4 - The Financial Avalanche
The fallout from the gala footage was swift, violent, and unrelenting.
By the next morning, the video of Isabella Rossi attacking me had gone viral across the globe, racking up over two hundred million views in less than twelve hours. The hashtag #JusticeForKhloe trended number one worldwide.
Public outrage reached an unprecedented fever pitch. Protesters gathered outside the Rossi family’s corporate headquarters and their private mansion, holding signs demanding maximum prison time for Isabella.
In the executive boardroom of Thorne Global Industries, Marcus sat at the head of a massive glass table, flanked by twelve senior financial analysts and forensic accountants.
I sat beside him, wearing a comfortable cashmere sweater, drinking warm tea while watching the live stock ticker on the wall.
"Report," Marcus commanded softly.
"Mr. Thorne," his head of global acquisitions spoke up, sliding a tablet forward. "At 8:00 AM today, Thorne Global dumped all five million shares of Rossi Enterprises stock onto the open market. The sudden flood of shares, combined with the public boycott, caused Rossi Enterprises stock to crash by 74% in three hours."
"What about their creditors?" Marcus asked, sipping his coffee.
"Every major bank in North America has recalled their commercial loans to Senator Rossi," Richard Vance added with a cold smile. "They have forty-eight hours to post $200 million in collateral or face immediate corporate bankruptcy. Furthermore, federal investigators have opened a formal inquiry into Senator Rossi's campaign finances after an anonymous tip revealed he used donor funds to bribe hospital executives to erase surveillance footage."
"The anonymous tip was from me," Uncle Arthur said, walking into the boardroom with a tablet of his own. "He tried to bribe my chief IT administrator with two hundred thousand dollars. I handed the recorded phone call over to the Department of Justice an hour ago."
Marcus looked at me, his hand reaching out under the table to hold mine. "The Rossi family will be completely destitute by the end of the week, Khloe. They will have nothing left to pay for her defense lawyers."
"What about Elaine Parker?" I asked, remembering the event coordinator who had enabled Isabella and tried to cover for her.
Marcus’s eyes flashed with dark satisfaction. "Elaine Parker’s event planning firm lost every single corporate contract in the city by noon today. She has been permanently blacklisted from high society. She will be lucky if she can find work planning birthday parties in a suburban mall."
At that moment, Marcus’s secretary walked into the room, looking pale.
"Mr. Thorne," she whispered. "Senator Victor Rossi is in the lobby downstairs. He... he is begging to see you. He says he will sign over his remaining assets if you drop the civil lawsuits."
Marcus didn't even hesitate. "Have security remove him from the building. If he steps on Thorne property again, have him arrested for trespassing."
"Yes, sir," the secretary bowed and walked out.
I looked at my husband, feeling a deep, profound sense of gratitude and love. For months, I had felt so alone against the quiet cruelty of high society, constantly wondering if I belonged in Marcus's world. But seeing how fiercely he had protected me, how ruthlessly he had dismantled our enemies, I realized something important.
I didn't need to fit into his world.
Together, we made our own world.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Marcus asked softly, turning his chair toward me and gently touching my bump. "Any pain?"
May you like
"No pain," I smiled, leaning into his touch. "She’s kicking, though. I think she knows her dad just won a massive battle."
Marcus’s face softened, a genuine, beautiful smile breaking through his stern features. "She’s going to be just as fierce as her mother."
