Chapter 5: Buying Out the Room
With the Whitmores gone, the room was so quiet you could hear the ice melting in the water glasses. Preston Vale was on his knees, literally begging.
"Mr. Vance, please, I was just trying to protect the restaurant's reputation! I have a family, I have bills—"
"Who owns Maison Greer?" Julian interrupted, pulling out his phone.
"The... the Greer Hospitality Group, sir," Preston swallowed hard.
Julian pressed a single speed-dial button. He didn't put it to his ear; he clicked the speakerphone.
"Julian?" a panicked voice answered after half a ring. It was Marcus Greer, the billionaire owner of the hospitality group. "Is everything okay at the restaurant? I saw your security detail checked in."
"Marcus," Julian said smoothly. "I'm buying Maison Greer. Name your price."
"Uh... Julian, it's not for sale, we just remodeled—"
"I’m wiring eighty million dollars to your corporate account in thirty seconds," Julian said, checking his watch. "Take it, or I short your parent company's stock before the opening bell tomorrow."
A long, agonizing pause stretched over the speaker.
"Sold," Marcus Greer whispered. "The property is yours, Julian."
May you like
Julian hung up and looked down at the whimpering manager. "As the new sole owner of Maison Greer, you're fired, Preston. Furthermore, I will ensure every luxury establishment in the United States knows exactly why you were terminated. You have thirty seconds to remove yourself from my view."
Preston didn't even grab his coat. He scrambled out of the restaurant like a beaten dog, disgraced and permanently blacklisted.
