Chapter 5 - The Corporate GuillotineThe collective gasp that echoed through the Metropolitan Ballroom could have sucked all the oxygen out of the room.
For five seconds, nobody breathed.
Then, chaos erupted. Flashbulbs strobed like a frantic thunderstorm as journalists rushed forward, shouting questions over one another. Claudia Voss clutched Grant's arm so tightly her knuckles turned white, her painted smile completely shattering into pure, unadulterated horror.
"You're... you're lying," Grant choked out, taking a step back as if physically struck. "You married her? Dad, are you insane? She's a nobody! She's an administrative assistant's daughter! She's nothing!"
"She was the architect of every major pitch deck that made you look like a genius for the last five years," Roman replied coldly, his voice echoing in the cavernous hall. "Without her, you are just an empty suit with an expensive haircut and a severe gambling problem."
"That's not true!" Grant shouted, losing whatever fragile grip he had left on his composure. "I built my career! I secured the Voss partnership! I'm the one who—"
"You didn't secure anything, son," a calm, chillingly polite voice interrupted from the doorway.
A group of three men in charcoal suits stepped past the stunned security guards. The man leading them flashed a federal badge and a crisp Manila folder.
"Grant Callaway? And Mr. Thomas Voss?" the federal agent called out, his voice carrying effortlessly across the room. "We have active federal warrants and subpoenas issued by the Southern District of New York regarding securities fraud, insider trading, and money laundering tied to Voss Capital's overseas subsidiaries."
Claudia gasped, stumbling backward into a waiter carrying a tray of canapés. "Dad! What is this?!"
Thomas Voss, a towering titan of Wall Street who had spent decades untouchable, turned pale as a sheet as federal agents flanked him on both sides. He looked across the room toward Roman Callaway, whose expression remained completely devoid of mercy.
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"Roman," Thomas hissed, his voice trembling with fury. "You set this up."
"I simply allowed your daughter to steal the wrong person's fiancé," Roman replied smoothly, lifting a glass of sparkling water from a passing tray. "Business is business, Thomas. And right now, your business is insolvent."
