Chapter 28 - The Fall of the House of VanceThe arrest of Richard Vance sent shockwaves through Wall Street that dwarfed the scandal of Alexander Grant. Within twenty-four hours, Vanguard Capital Partners went into administrative receivership, its stocks plunging into absolute freefall as federal auditors seized every server, ledger, and offshore account tied to the firm.
The media dubbed it The Grand Collapse—a domino effect that had begun two years prior on a cold February night when a neglected wife decided to use an unlimited black card.
In a high-security federal remand facility in New Jersey, two men in orange jumpsuits met during a mandatory transfer processing hour.
Alexander Grant sat on a stainless steel bench, his body thin, his spirit entirely extinguished.
The heavy iron door opened, and Richard Vance was escorted in by two guards, his wrists cuffed to a leather waist belt.
Alexander slowly raised his hollow, sunken eyes. When he recognized his former boss and mentor—the man who had thrown him under the bus—a dry, raspy laugh escaped Alexander’s throat.
"Look at us, Richard," Alexander cackled quietly, the sound echoing unnaturally in the holding cell. "The great corporate titans."
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Richard glared at him with pure venom. "Shut up, you idiot."
"We both thought she was nothing," Alexander whispered, leaning his head back against the cold concrete wall, tears leaking from his eyes. "We thought she was just a quiet girl who stayed home and cooked dinner. But she didn't just break us, Richard... she wiped us out from the root."
