Chapter 10 - The Foundation Gala He Tried to Crash
“Claire... please,” Richard pleaded, his arrogance completely collapsing into a pathetic, desperate whimper. “We’re your family! If this gets out, Vance Construction will go into involuntary bankruptcy! The bank will foreclose on our house! The state will revoke my contractor’s license!”
“Vance Construction is already in bankruptcy, Richard,” James Sterling said, pulling a final document from his case.
“This morning, The Lily & Noah Foundation purchased all outstanding senior secured debt notes on Vance Construction Enterprises from First National Bank for forty cents on the dollar.”
Richard’s eyes bulged in pure, unadulterated terror. “You... you bought my debt?”
“I am your primary creditor now, Richard,” I whispered, leaning down until my face was inches from his. “I own your corporate equipment. I own the mortgage on your house. I own the construction contracts on every site you operate.”
Brad, Melissa’s fiancé, stood up abruptly, threw his cloth napkin onto his plate, and looked at Melissa with cold, disgusted eyes.
“You told me your family was worth thirty million dollars,” Brad sneered. “You told me your sister was going to fund our wedding in Lake Como.”
“Brad, wait!” Melissa cried, grabbing his arm. “It’s just a misunderstanding! We can fix this!”
“Fix what?!” Brad pulled his arm away violently. “Your father is a bankrupt fraud and your family stole an inheritance from a grieving mother! I’m done. The wedding is off.”
May you like
Brad turned on his heel and stormed out of the private salon, letting the double doors slam shut behind him.
Melissa collapsed back into her chair, sobbing hysterically into her designer dress, her social-climbing dreams shattered into pieces on the dining room floor.
