Chapter 32 - The Wrath of the Emperor
Victor Vance did not handle defeat with grace. When his private security team realized Eleanor had vanished from the clinic, and his banks simultaneously informed him that his entire empire was on lockdown, he erupted into a violent frenzy.
By 3:00 PM, a team of aggressive, highly-paid corporate lawyers stormed the lobby of our building. They demanded an immediate meeting, threatening to sue The Phoenix Initiative for kidnapping, corporate espionage, and defamation.
I sat calmly in my office, watching them on the security feed. I buzzed Arthur, who was already waiting in the reception area.
"Let his lead counsel into the conference room, Arthur," I instructed. "Just the lead. Let the rest of them sweat in the lobby."
Arthur escorted Marcus Thorne, a ruthless defense attorney known for destroying witnesses on the stand, into our boardroom. I walked in a few moments later, taking a seat at the head of the table. I didn't offer him water or a pleasantry.
"Ms. Lawson," Thorne sneered, slamming his briefcase onto the glass table. "You have made a catastrophic mistake. Victor Vance is a pillar of this community. You have illegally detained his wife and orchestrated a malicious attack on his finances based on fabricated evidence. We are filing federal charges against you by end of day."
I didn't blink. I simply slid a single sheet of paper across the table.
"What is this?" Thorne demanded.
"That is a printout of the wire transfer your client made to Apex Solutions," I said, my voice perfectly even. "It clearly dictates payment for 'unlawful detention and extrajudicial retrieval' of his wife. That is a federal conspiracy to commit kidnapping, Mr. Thorne."
Thorne glanced at the paper, his arrogant expression faltering for a fraction of a second.
"We didn't fabricate anything," I continued, leaning forward. "We simply opened the ledger your client was too arrogant to destroy. Eleanor Vance is currently in a secure location under federal protection. And if you attempt to file a single frivolous lawsuit against my foundation, I will personally hand the rest of this shadow ledger to the IRS, the SEC, and the FBI. I will not just destroy his marriage; I will destroy his entire company."
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Thorne swallowed hard. He knew a losing hand when he saw one.
"Tell Victor," I smiled coldly, "that the days of treating women like property are over. His cage is broken. Have a wonderful afternoon, counselor."
