Chapter 21 - Cold Blood at the Gala
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By 8:00 AM, Wall Street was in absolute chaos.
The London markets had witnessed a sudden, brutal short-squeeze. Julian Cross’s forty million dollar capital injection had caught Aegis Capital completely off guard. As Sterling Holdings bond prices skyrocketed back up, Aegis was forced to cover its positions, losing seventy-seven million dollars in less than two hours.
Standing in the lobby of Sterling Imperial, I watched the financial news broadcast live on the massive wall monitors.
"In a shocking turn of events," the news anchor announced, "Aegis Capital has entered emergency liquidation after suffering devastating losses overnight. Federal authorities have just entered Aegis headquarters in Midtown."
Sarah Lin rushed over to me, handing me a fresh cup of coffee. "Federal agents are executing search warrants on Richard Hayes’s residence as we speak!"
"Where is Hayes now?" I asked calmly.
"He’s currently trying to board a private jet at Teterboro Airport," Sarah revealed, showing me a real-time tracking map. "His attorneys are trying to freeze his asset seizure order."
"Call my brother Ben," I ordered. "Tell him the District Attorney needs to issue an immediate border control warrant for market manipulation and money laundering."
Before Sarah could make the call, the glass double doors of our lobby burst open.
Richard Hayes stumbled inside, flanked by two frantic bodyguards. His hair was disheveled, his tie crooked, his eyes wild with desperate rage.
"Elena Sterling!" Hayes roared, his voice echoing off the marble floors. "You ruined me! You coordinated with Julian Cross to destroy Aegis!"
Security officers immediately rushed forward, forming a physical wall between Hayes and me.
I stood my ground, folding my arms across my chest, looking down at him with icy disdain.
"You destroyed yourself, Richard," I said smoothly. "You thought you could intimidate me with white orchids and market raids. Did you really think I wouldn't fight back?"
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"You think you've won?" Hayes spat, struggling against the security guards holding his arms. "Vanguard Apex will hunt you down! You have no idea who really controls that fund!"
"I don't care who controls it," I replied coldly as sirens wailed outside the building. "Because whoever they are, they’re next."
