Chapter 7 - The Mastermind’s Gambit
Ethan flinched as if Liam had physically struck him. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
Eleanor marched back over, her eyes burning with pure hatred. "You proud of yourself, Victoria? You came here, ruined my son's marriage, destroyed our alignment with the Hastings family, and publicly embarrassed us! Is this what you wanted? Vengeance?"
"Vengeance?" I laughed—a soft, musical sound that echoed off the high limestone walls of the estate. "Eleanor, you overestimate your importance. I didn't come here for vengeance. Vengeance is emotional. This was simply business."
I stood up, signaling to my security detail to keep a close eye on the boys. I stepped up to Eleanor, standing inches away from her.
"When you threw me out five years ago," I said, my voice dropping to a icy whisper, "you told me that people like me were nothing more than temporary distractions for men like Ethan. You told me I lacked the bloodline, the intelligence, and the grace to ever stand in your world."
Eleanor gritted her teeth, but she couldn't dispute the words. She had said them right in the foyer of this very house.
"So I decided to show you what someone 'like me' can do," I continued. "I didn't use a family inheritance. I didn't rely on political connections. I built Vanguard Holdings from a single laptop in a rented room while holding three babies in my arms. And while I was building, you were burning through your family's trust funds to maintain an illusion of power."
"You think buying our debt gives you power over us?" Eleanor sneered weakly. "We still have assets! We still have the Montgomery name!"
"The Montgomery name is currently associated with massive corporate debt and a canceled political alliance," I replied calmly. "And as for your assets... Marcus, give her the file."
Marcus stepped forward and handed Eleanor a heavy black leather folder.
Eleanor snatched it, her hands shaking as she flipped open the cover. Inside were dozens of pages of financial audits, bank foreclosures, and legal notices.
"What... what is this?" she whispered.
"That is a complete audit of Montgomery Media Holdings," I explained. "Ethan’s bad investments over the last three years weren't just incompetent; they breached several federal compliance regulations. By five o'clock on Monday morning, the Securities and Exchange Commission will open a formal investigation into your family's offshore holding accounts."
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Ethan lifted his head from his hands, his eyes wild with terror. "Victoria... no... you can't do that. I'll go to prison!"
"You should have looked at the documents your mother asked you to sign over the years, Ethan," I said with genuine pity. "You signed off on every illegal wire transfer she set up to keep this estate afloat."
