Chapter 4 - The BoardroomThomas stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his corner office, looking down at the bustling streets of downtown. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal Tom Ford suit that hugged his broad shoulders, a sharp contrast to the casual flannels he had worn around the Vances for years.
Behind him, sitting at a massive glass conference table, was his executive assistant and chief of operations, Marcus. Marcus was a former corporate lawyer—sharp, ruthless, and entirely loyal to Thomas.
"The extraction is complete, sir," Marcus reported, scrolling through data on a tablet. "We've formally pulled the backing from Vance Holdings. Their stock is currently in freefall. I give it forty-eight hours before they have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy."
"And the country club bill?" Thomas asked, not turning away from the window.
"Sent to collections at 9:00 AM sharp. They missed the twenty-four-hour window by default since their accounts are now frozen due to the debt call."
Thomas finally turned around. His face was a mask of cold professionalism, but there was a dark fire in his eyes. He walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of water.
"Good. But we aren't done, Marcus."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Sir, you've financially decimated a seventy-year-old man in less than twelve hours. They are losing their company, their house, and their social standing. What else is there?"
Thomas leaned forward, placing both hands flat on the glass table. "Did you secure the footage from yesterday?"
"Yes, sir. We gained access to the cloud accounts of Richard Vance's children. The videos they took of Jacob and Samuel have been deleted from their devices and wiped from the cloud. They can't post them anywhere."
"They tried to humiliate my children for entertainment," Thomas said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I don't just want them broke, Marcus. I want them to understand what humiliation really is."
Marcus tapped his pen against the tablet. "I’m listening."
"Richard Vance sits on the board of the private academy where his kids go to school. An academy that heavily relies on alumni donations," Thomas stated. "I want you to arrange a meeting with the headmaster. I’m prepared to make a five-million-dollar donation to their new science wing. But it comes with a condition."
Marcus smiled, a slow, predatory grin. "You want Richard removed from the board."
"I want Richard removed, and I want his children expelled for violating the school's strict anti-bullying policy. We have the videos to prove it," Thomas said cleanly. "They want to act like privileged untouchables? Let's see how they do in public school with a bankrupt daddy."
"It's aggressive, Thomas," Marcus noted, though he was already typing the orders. "The society circles will call you a monster for going after the kids."
"They aren't kids. They're sixteen and seventeen-year-old bullies who laughed while my six-year-old scrubbed tables on his knees," Thomas shot back. "I'm not a monster, Marcus. I'm just leveling the playing field. Oh, and one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Helen Vance runs a high-end charity gala every winter. It's her pride and joy. Buys all her social clout." Thomas took a sip of water. "Buy the venue. And cancel her reservation."
Marcus let out a low whistle. "Scorched earth, it is."
Just then, the intercom on Thomas's desk buzzed. The receptionist’s voice crackled through. "Mr. Sterling, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there is a Robert and Helen Vance here in the lobby. They are demanding to see you. Security is standing by."
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Thomas looked at Marcus. The trap had sprung faster than he anticipated.
"Send them up," Thomas said. "But keep security on the floor. This is going to be a very short meeting."
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