Chapter 26 - The Boardroom Ambush
The flashbulbs went off the moment Victoria spotted me stepping out of Julian’s SUV. The reporters, sensing high-society drama, immediately pivoted away from Victoria and aimed their cameras in my direction, shouting questions over the hum of city traffic.
"Ms. Prescott! Is it true that you've been stripped of your assets?"
"Ms. Prescott, do you have a comment regarding the emergency injunction filed against your properties this morning?"
Victoria’s face lit up with a vindictive, radiant glow. She linked her arm through Alistair Vance’s tailored sleeve and glided over toward me, her heels clicking aggressively against the pavement.
"Looking for a job, big sister?" Victoria called out, her voice dripping with venomous mockery for the benefit of the press cameras. "I'd offer you a position cleaning the lobby floors of the clinic, but honestly, your work ethic has always been subpar. Alistair and I are here to take over the board, freeze your remaining personal accounts, and officially restore the Prescott name to its rightful glory."
Alistair Vance offered a cold, patronizing smile, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. "Ms. Prescott, I suggest you hand over your building keys and corporate badges voluntarily. Making a scene in front of the press will only make your impending bankruptcy look more pathetic."
I didn't flinch. I didn't raise my voice. I simply looked past them, offering a polite nod to the two journalists whose cameras were capturing every micro-expression on our faces.
"Save your breath, Victoria," I said, my voice carrying clearly over the street noise. "You might want to check your mobile phone before you celebrate a victory that doesn't belong to you."
Victoria's smirk faltered for a microsecond. "What are you talking about?"
Right on cue, Victoria’s high-end smartphone—and Alistair Vance’s encrypted device—simultaneously began to buzz violently in their pockets. A relentless, synchronized chorus of notification chimes that didn't stop.
Alistair frowned, pulling his phone from his breast pocket. He glanced down at the screen, and for the first time since I met him, the color completely drained from his face. His pale eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated horror as he stared at the red alert banner flashing across his display.
"What is that?" Victoria hissed, pulling out her own phone. She tapped the screen, her eyes scanning the federal tax bulletin notification. Her jaw dropped open.
*“FEDERAL ASSET FREEZING ORDER: VANCE GLOBAL LOGISTICS. UNPAID LIABILITIES DETECTED: $480,000,000. ACCOUNTS SEIZED PENDING FRAUD INVESTIGATION.”*
"No..." Victoria whispered, her face turning pale as paper. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with mounting panic. "No, this isn't possible. We claimed the Zurich vault! We have the bearer bonds!"
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"You claimed the vault, yes," I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a cool, lethal whisper that only she could hear. "And by accepting Grandfather Henry's maternal registry affidavit, you legally accepted every single liability attached to it. Congratulations, Victoria. You are officially four hundred and eighty million dollars in debt to the federal government."
***
