Chapter 5 - The Web Tightens
Over the next four days, the Vance estate became a command center.
While Chloe and her father celebrated what they believed was a total victory over us, I worked quietly behind the scenes with Elena, Luis, and our corporate legal team.
Arthur Montgomery had threatened to destroy Vance Enterprises using three major supply contracts his firm held with us. What Arthur didn't know was that my late husband, Richard Vance, had built our empire on absolute financial independence. We didn't need Montgomery Logistics; they needed us.
On Friday morning, I met with my lead attorney, Marcus Vance—my late husband’s younger brother and a ruthless corporate lawyer.
Sitting in my study, Marcus reviewed the digital audio recording from my uniform pocket, along with the sworn affidavits provided by Elena, Luis, and the rest of the domestic staff regarding Chloe’s repeated abuse.
"Eleanor," Marcus chuckled, taking off his glasses and shaking his head in admiration. "This recording is absolute gold. It's clear, crisp, and fully admissible. She clearly states her intention to humiliate you, and the audio catches the sound of the water hitting you followed by her laughing."
"What about Arthur’s threat regarding the contracts?" Julian asked, sitting across from his uncle.
"Arthur is playing a game of poker with no cards in his hand," Marcus sneered. "He thinks because he's rich, he can bully people. But those three supply contracts he mentioned contain an explicit 'moral turpitude' clause. If any executive or immediate family member of Montgomery Logistics engages in public criminal conduct or severe brand damage, Vance Enterprises has the legal right to terminate all contracts instantly without penalty."
"So when Chloe assaulted my mother," Julian realized, "she gave us the legal right to bankrupt her father's company."
"Precisely," Marcus smiled coldly. "Arthur didn't realize he was handing us the rope to hang his own business."
Suddenly, the door to the study opened, and Elena walked in, holding an elegant foil-stamped envelope.
"Madam," Elena said, her eyes shining with indignation. "An official invitation just arrived via courier from the Montgomery residence."
I took the thick envelope and opened it. Inside was a lavish invitation to a private press conference and dinner gala hosted by Arthur Montgomery at the grand Plaza Hotel on Monday evening.
Attached to the invitation was a small handwritten note from Chloe:
'To Eleanor and Julian: I expect both of you on stage at 8:00 PM to deliver your public apology. Don't be late, or my father's lawyers will execute the business lawsuits by midnight. See you soon, Mama Vance.'
Julian read the note over my shoulder, his face flushing with rage. "She's actually enjoying this. She thinks she's forced us onto our knees."
"Let her enjoy it, Julian," I said softly, folding the note neatly and sliding it back into the envelope. "Arrogance is a terrible shield. It makes people completely blind to the trap being laid right in front of them."
"What are we going to do at the Plaza Hotel, Mom?" Julian asked.
May you like
I looked at my son, then at my brother-in-law Marcus.
"We are going to attend Arthur Montgomery's press conference," I said, my voice dripping with quiet authority. "We are going to let Chloe stand under the bright lights in front of every reporter, socialite, and investor in the city... and then we are going to show the world who she truly is."
