She Threw Red Wine on Me and Claimed Her Fiancé Owned My Family’s Luxury Resort—Until One Phone Call Exposed the Biggest Betrayal in the Sterling Empire / Chapter 4 / 20

Chapter 4 - The Thorne AllianceThe freezing December wind whipped across the stone terrace, biting at the exposed skin of my back, but I refused to shiver. I looked at Liam Thorne’s outstretched hand, then up at his face.

The name was familiar. Thorne Capital. A private equity firm known for aggressive acquisitions and hostile takeovers. They were the sharks of the hospitality industry.

"I don't shake hands with vultures, Mr. Thorne," I said coolly, keeping my arms crossed.

He didn't look offended. In fact, his lips twitched into a slow, dangerous smile. He let his hand drop. "Vulture is a strong word. I prefer 'opportunist.' And right now, you and I have a mutual problem named Thomas Sterling."

"My uncle is my family's problem. Not yours."

"Is that so?" Liam stepped closer, pulling a silver cigarette case from his tuxedo jacket. He didn't open it; he just turned it over in his long fingers. "Because three weeks ago, Thomas approached my firm. He offered to sell us fifty-one percent of the Sterling Alpine Lodge. The controlling stake."

My breath hitched. "He can't do that. He doesn't own fifty-one percent. My grandfather holds sixty percent of the shares in a blind trust."

"A trust that transfers to Thomas if your grandfather is deemed medically incompetent," Liam corrected softly. "Which, according to the private medical documents Thomas showed my board, is exactly what is happening."

The cold suddenly had nothing to do with the winter air.

Medically incompetent. My grandfather had a heart condition, yes, but his mind was as sharp as a diamond. I had spoken to him two days ago; we had discussed international market trends for an hour.

"You're lying," I whispered, though dread was pooling in my stomach.

"I have no reason to lie to you, Elena," Liam said, dropping the formalities. "Thomas cooked the books with Julian Vance to devalue the property. He plans to declare your grandfather unfit, take control of the trust, and sell the undervalued lodge to me for a massive personal kickback. I get a flagship property for a steal, and he gets liquid cash to fund his takeover of your entire corporate board."

"Then why are you telling me?" I demanded. "If it’s such a good deal for you, why blow the whistle?"

Liam stepped fully into the moonlight. Up close, he was intimidatingly handsome, but there was a hardened, cynical edge to his features.

"Because I don't do business with snakes," Liam said softly. "Thomas thinks he’s playing me. He buried a clause in the contract that would leave my firm liable for all of Julian’s hidden debts. He tried to set me up as the fall guy for the embezzlement. I don't take kindly to that."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a slim, black flash drive. He held it up between two fingers.

"This drive contains every encrypted email between Thomas, Julian, and the offshore shell companies. It also contains the falsified medical reports Thomas commissioned regarding your grandfather."

I reached for it, but he pulled it back, just out of reach.

"Ah," Liam murmured. "Not for free."

"What do you want, Thorne?"

"I want the ski resort in Chamonix," he said immediately. "Sterling Hospitality owns a prime parcel of undeveloped land in the French Alps. Sell it to me at market value. No bidding war. Do that, and this drive is yours. You can use it to destroy Thomas and Julian tomorrow morning."

I stared at him. It was extortion. But it was also a lifeline. If Thomas actually managed to get my grandfather declared incompetent, I would lose everything. The empire, the legacy, the lodge.

Before I could answer, the heavy glass doors to the terrace slammed open.

Julian Vance stood there, no longer looking like a polished executive. His tie was loosened, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wild and desperate. In his hand, he held a thick, heavy envelope.

"Elena!" Julian barked, stepping into the freezing cold. He noticed Liam and faltered for a second, but desperation pushed him forward. "I'm not going down alone. If you call the police, I swear to God, I will ruin you."

I stepped in front of Liam. "You have nothing, Julian. You’re finished."

"Am I?" Julian laughed, a high, panicked sound. He waved the envelope. "Do you know what this is? It’s a signed affidavit from your grandfather’s head nurse. It states that you have been secretly altering his medication to accelerate his decline so you can inherit the company early."

The world seemed to stop spinning.

"That is a disgusting lie!" I shouted, taking a step toward him.

"It doesn't matter if it's a lie!" Julian screamed back. "It's signed! It's notarized! Thomas paid the nurse a fortune to write it. If you expose our finances, this goes to the press, the board, and the police. You’ll go to prison for elder abuse, Elena!"