Chapter 2 - The Stamped Mandate
The footsteps belonged to three men in dark charcoal suits, none of whom wore the black ties required by the banquet invitation. The lead officer produced a leather credential folder from inside his coat, holding it at eye level before Arthur Vance even turned his head. The entire dining hall seemed to drop five degrees. Glasses were set down onto silk tablecloths without a clink; even the waitstaff halted, trays frozen in their gloved hands.
""Julian Vance?"" the lead agent announced, his baritone voice bouncing off the high-arched ceilings. ""We have an immediate federal asset-freeze injunction issued thirty minutes ago by the Southern District. Step away from the table.""
Julian took a staggered step backward, knocking his dessert spoon off the edge. It clattered against the parquet floor with an unbearable metallic ring. ""There’s been a mistake,"" Julian stammered, raising trembling palms toward his grandfather. ""Grandfather, tell them! Claire doesn't hold majority voting rights on the trust board. She’s bluffing! She brought fabricated audit reports to sabotage the public merger!""
Arthur Vance slowly raised his heavy, sunken eyes toward Julian. The old man’s face did not carry rage, only an exhausting, bottomless disappointment that seemed to age him another ten years in seconds. ""You told me the offshore short positions were hedged, Julian,"" Arthur rasped, his voice gravelly and trembling with hidden infirmity. ""You gave me your word on your mother’s grave.""
""They were hedged!"" Victoria intervened, stepping between Julian and the approaching federal agents, her silver sequins flashing under the chandeliers. ""Arthur, don’t listen to her! Claire has been planning this coup since the day she returned from Zurich. She wants the company liquidated so she can buy the core tech patents at an auction price!""
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Claire smiled faintly, folding her hands in front of her black cocktail dress. ""You always underestimated my appetite, Victoria. I don't want the tech patents. I already own the holding company that holds the primary debt."" She reached into her clutch and withdrew a sleek black flash drive, setting it precisely on the center of the mahogany table. ""And every recording made in the penthouse across from the pier is right here.""
Julian froze entirely, his breathing hitched, his eyes locked onto the small metal drive as if looking at an unexploded bomb.
