Chapter 12 - The Leaked Tapes
The following morning, Marcus Thorne called an emergency press conference at the New York Stock Exchange, surrounded by reporters eager for blood. Eleanor stood beside him, clutching a handkerchief, ready to execute the final blow to the Vance family reputation.
"Today, Blackwood Holdings files a class-action lawsuit against Vance Global for predatory lending and corporate espionage," Marcus declared into the sea of microphones.
Before he could continue, every digital billboard in Times Square and the main monitors inside the trading floor flickered, replacing his feed with high-definition audio and video.
It was the raw security footage from the Montgomery estate foyer three weeks ago.
The audio echoed across Wall Street with terrifying clarity. Victoria shrieking at Hazel, Eleanor in the background muttering that the child was a "costly burden," and Sterling agreeing to hide the abuse. Then came a recorded phone call between Eleanor and Marcus from forty-eight hours prior, where Eleanor explicitly bartered Hazel’s custody rights for a two-million-dollar payout from Blackwood Holdings.
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The press room erupted. Marcus turned pale white as reporters thrust microphones into his face, demanding answers. Eleanor fainted on live television.
"Checkmate, Marcus," I whispered, watching from my phone inside a black limousine parked right outside the exchange.
