Chapter 4 - The Scorched-Earth Strategy
The next seventy-two hours were an exercise in absolute corporate annihilation.
Vincent didn't just use his legal team; he allowed me to lead the charge. Sitting at the mahogany table in his penthouse office, surrounded by encrypted laptops, I used my deep knowledge of the Carter family's finances to tear down their empire piece by piece. I knew where every shell company was hidden, every offshore account, and every fake invoice Ryan had signed.
By Tuesday afternoon, the local news channels were in a frenzy.
“Breaking: Carter Logistics CEO Ryan Carter Arrested for Corporate Fraud and Asset Theft. Prominent Socialite Chloe Lane Named as Co-Conspirator.”
I watched the live broadcast on the monitor. Ryan was being led out of his downtown office in handcuffs, his expensive suit wrinkled, his face pale with the exact same panic he had shown at the gala. Behind him, Chloe was trying to shield her face from the cameras with a designer coat I had bought her for Christmas.
A soft knock on the door made me look up. Vincent walked in, holding a leather folder.
"The deeds to your mother's estate have been legally restored to your name, Julianne," he said, setting the folder in front of me. "The court signed the emergency injunction an hour ago. You are officially free of them."
I traced my fingers over the embossed seals on the document, a single tear of relief finally escaping my eye. "Thank you, Vincent. I don't even know how I can ever repay you for this."
Vincent walked over to the window, looking out over the grey expanse of the lake. "I don't want your money, Julianne. I want your brilliance. My real estate trust needs a new Chief Financial Officer—someone who isn't afraid to look a monster in the eye and rewrite the rules. The position is yours, if you want it."
I stood up, stepping around the desk, my posture straight and my eyes filled with an unshakeable confidence. "On one condition, Mr. Moretti."
May you like
He turned, a brow arched in amusement. "And what is that?"
"I want the grand ballroom at the Monarch Hotel for my first corporate event."
