Chapter 10 - Crack in the Monolith
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While we built our bulletproof criminal case, the Sterling Apex Group was decomposing from the inside out.
The sudden withdrawal of Vanguard’s $400 million backing had triggered a catastrophic chain reaction across Wall Street. Lenders who had provided short-term bridge loans for the Hudson Valley project began issuing immediate margin calls.
In the mahogany-paneled boardroom on the top floor of the Sterling Apex tower, total panic reigned.
Richard Sterling sat at the head of the conference table, his face grey and haggard. His prescription medication bottles were scattered beside his untouched coffee cup. Across from him, Vance looked like a ghost of his former self, his expensive suit wrinkled, dark purple circles bruising the skin under his eyes.
“Where is the money, Vance?” Richard demanded, his raspy voice trembling with rage as he slammed a fist onto the polished wood.
“The board is threatening to remove us both by Friday! Deutsche Bank just froze our primary credit lines!”
“Father, I’m trying!” Vance pleaded, his hands flying up in desperation.
“I’ve called every private equity firm in Connecticut! No one will take my calls! As soon as they hear Margo Kensington pulled out, they treat us like radioactive waste!”
At that moment, the double doors of the boardroom swung open. Eleanor Sterling bustled in, her eyes wild, holding a stack of high-society tabloids.
“Richard! Have you seen what they’re saying in the papers?” she shrieked, dropping the tabloids onto the table.
“The Metropolitan Art Gala just cancelled my honorary chair position! They said my presence would be ‘distracting’! Me! Distracting!”
Richard looked at his wife with pure, unadulterated venom.
“Your position?” Richard roared, standing up so fast his chair skidded back against the floor.
“You foolish woman! Your vanity destroyed this company! If you hadn’t slapped Sloane in front of two hundred billionaires at the Plaza, we would have signed the contract! Vanguard would have funded us!”
“Don’t you dare pin this on me!” Eleanor shrieked back, her face twisting into an ugly scowl.
“Vance is the idiot who brought that trashy runway girl to the gala! He introduced her as his soulmate!”
Vance buried his face in his hands, groaning in agony.
“Stop it! Both of you, just stop!” Vance yelled, his voice cracking.
“Sloane loves me! She spent three years serving us! She’s just angry. If I can just get five minutes alone with her, if I can explain that Cleo was a mistake, she’ll forgive me! She’ll tell her mother to stop!”
Richard stared at his son with profound contempt.
“You absolute moron,” Richard spat.
“She’s not a meek little house pet anymore, Vance. She’s a Kensington. She’s actively trying to put us in federal prison!”
Before Vance could respond, the boardroom phone line began to ring incessantly. The corporate secretary’s frantic voice came through the speaker.
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“Mr. Sterling! The NYPD Organized Crime Task Force is downstairs in the lobby! They have a search warrant for all communications regarding Apex Security Solutions!”
Richard’s eyes rolled back. He clutched his chest with a sharp gasp and collapsed heavily onto the table, sending his water glass shattering onto the floor.
