Liveupdate

Chapter 3: The Collapse

Within thirty minutes, Adrian's empire began falling apart.

Every line of credit was frozen.

Every acquisition halted.

Every pending contract canceled.

Investors started pulling out.

Board members stopped answering his calls.

Vanessa watched the disaster unfold in disbelief.

"What is happening?"

Adrian ignored her.

His hands were shaking.

Then his personal attorney arrived.

The man looked terrified.

"We have a problem."

Adrian grabbed him.

"What problem?"

The attorney swallowed hard.

"A very large percentage of your company isn't actually yours."

Silence.

"What?"

The lawyer handed him a folder.

Documents.

Signatures.

Ownership records.

For years, hidden investors had quietly financed Adrian's growth.

Investors he had never met.

Investors represented by a single trust.

The Sterling Trust.

My family.

The room spun around him.

"No..."

The attorney nodded.

"Without their support, the company is insolvent."

Vanessa's face turned white.

The billionaire she planned to marry...

Wasn't a billionaire anymore.

Then she received her own phone call.

Her smile vanished instantly.

The pregnancy records she had shown Adrian?

Fake.

Someone had exposed everything.

The media already had the story.

Vanessa realized she wasn't standing beside a king.

She was standing beside a collapsing kingdom.

And she immediately took a step away from him.