Chapter 2 - The Velvet Guillotine
The murmur in the cathedral swelled as I walked up to the pulpit, taking hold of the microphone.
Celeste made a motion to stop me, but two security guards—men I had personally hired and paid for—stepped smoothly into the aisle, blocking her path with polite, unyielding precision.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” my voice echoed clearly off the high vaulted ceilings. “Thank you for coming today to celebrate what was supposed to be a union between two families. As you have just witnessed, Adrian Vale has departed to reunite with his former partner, Vanessa.”
A collective gasp echoed across the wooden pews.
“While this may seem like a tragedy,” I continued, maintaining a serene, elegant smile, “I assure you it is a moment of absolute clarity. Instead of a wedding reception, I invite you all to check your phones. In roughly five minutes, an official press release will be issued regarding the executive management of Valecrest Group.”
Celeste’s eyes bulged with terror. “Claire, stop this! Don't you dare!”
I looked directly at the front row, where Valecrest’s primary investors sat looking bewildered. “To our esteemed board members sitting in attendance: as per Section 14-B of the Master Investment Agreement—which triggers upon the unilateral breach of faith or personal financial insolvency of the CEO—Adrian Vale’s voting shares have been officially frozen pending a forensic financial audit.”
The lead investor, an elderly billionaire named Arthur Vance, sat up straight, his bushy eyebrows furrowing as he immediately pulled out his tablet.
“Three months ago,” I continued smoothly, “an unauthorized withdrawal of $4.2 million was routed through Valecrest accounts into an offshore entity known as V&M Holdings in the Cayman Islands. That entity belongs to Vanessa Miller. Because Adrian used corporate assets to fund a non-sanctioned personal transfer, my corporate restructuring firm, Sterling Capital, has exercised its right to seize control of Valecrest’s operational assets.”
Panicked murmurs erupted through the cathedral. Guests pulled out their phones as push notifications began chiming simultaneously across the room.
The news had just broken on the financial wire: Valecrest Group CEO Removed Amid Fraud Allegations; Former Fiancee Claire Sterling Appointed Interim Managing Director.
Celeste stumbled backward, grabbing onto a pew to keep from falling. “You... you set a trap for my son!”
“I didn't force Adrian to answer that phone call, Celeste,” I said softly, setting the microphone back down. “I didn't force him to leave his own wedding to run after a woman who helped him steal from his shareholders. He stepped into the trap all by himself.”
I handed my bridal bouquet to my sister, gathered the long silk train of my white gown in one hand, and walked down the center aisle with my head held high.
Outside the cathedral doors, a sleek black town car was waiting for me. My lead attorney, Richard Hale, stood holding the door open, a thick leather briefcase resting in his hand.
“Everything has been filed with the Chancery Court, Claire,” Richard said as I stepped inside. “Adrian’s corporate credit cards were declined three minutes ago at the airport valet.”
May you like
I sat back against the leather seat, looking out at the rain-slicked streets of the city.
“Good,” I said calmly. “Let’s go to the office.”
