Chapter 10 - The Unraveling of the Family Business
The arrest of Lauren was the final straw that broke the family firm.
By Wednesday morning, the news of the Vance family scandal had leaked to the local business journals. Richard’s real estate firm, already struggling from the termination of Arthur’s contracts, was hit with a wave of panic from its remaining investors.
"Richard, we have to file for bankruptcy," his business partner said, throwing a stack of termination notices onto his desk. "Our stock has collapsed by fifty percent. The bank has called in our personal guarantees. We’re wiped out."
Richard sat behind his desk, his face pale, his head in his hands. He looked around his beautiful, expensive office, realizing that everything he had built on the foundation of my grandfather's wealth was gone.
His phone rang. It was Helen.
"Richard... they're here," she wept, her voice barely a whisper. "The marshals... they’re putting an eviction notice on the front door. We have seventy-two hours to pack our bags and leave the house."
"We have nowhere to go, Helen," Richard whispered, a single tear of despair escaping his eye. "We have no money, no home, and no credit. We’re homeless."
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"It's Madison," Helen sobbed. "This is all her fault! If she had just kept her mouth shut—"
"No, Helen," Richard said, his voice empty and dead. "It’s our fault. We stole from our own daughter. And we forgot that Arthur Vance always protects his own."
