Chapter 4 - The Digital Execution
The email didn't stop at a clever opening remark. As Alexander’s eyes scanned further down the glowing display, the words seemed to burn directly into his retina.
"By the time you read this, Vanguard Capital has been audited by the federal authorities. Every single offshore account you set up under your mother’s maiden name has been flagged for international money laundering. Your platinum credit cards? Frozen. Your corporate access credentials? Revoked. Even the digital keys to the penthouse apartment in Manhattan have been changed. You are legally, financially, and professionally bankrupt, darling."
Alexander let out a choked gasp, dropping his phone as if it had turned into a live ember. It hit the polished terminal floor with a sharp clatter, the screen spiderwebbing into a thousand jagged pieces.
Khloe rushed forward, her face turning pale. "Alexander? What is it? What did she say?"
"She knew," Alexander whispered, his voice hollow and stripped of all its usual arrogance. "She knew everything."
"What do you mean she knew?!" Khloe hissed, grabbing his arm with manic urgency. "Call your lead attorney! Call the corporate office!"
With trembling fingers, Alexander scooped up the broken phone, ignoring the glass cutting into his skin, and dialed his chief legal counsel, Marcus Vance, in New York. It rang twice before an automated robotic voice chimed in: "The subscriber you have dialed is no longer in service, or this number has been disconnected by order of the Federal District Court."
A cold sweat broke out across Alexander’s forehead. He turned to the resort reception desk nearby, slamming his platinum credit card onto the mahogany wood.
May you like
"Declined. Account Frozen - Federal Mandate," the receptionist stated politely, offering a sympathetic yet detached smile.
Khloe staggered backward, her custom white sundress suddenly looking less like bridal couture and more like a straitjacket. They were stranded five thousand miles away from home, penniless, disgraced, and completely at the mercy of a woman they had underestimated at every single turn.
