Chapter 3 - The Collapse of Cole Global
"Put him down, Dominic," I said softly.
Dominic didn't break eye contact with Adrian for three long seconds. Adrian was clawing at Dominic's iron fingers, his face turning a dark purple, his polished shoes dangling uselessly above the marble floor.
Finally, Dominic released his grip. Adrian collapsed onto his knees, gasping violently for air, clutching his throat.
Vanessa Hart backed away, trying to blend into the crowd of terrified guests near the dessert table. But Nico stepped into her path with a pleasant, terrifying smile.
"Miss Hart," Nico said, checking his phone. "Or should I say, Miss Vanessa Jenkins? You've been using a fake identity in state social circles for three years. Your real name is attached to three pending grand larceny indictments in Florida. Gabriel just forwarded your current location to the State Attorney's Office."
Vanessa went pale, her hands shaking so violently she dropped her designer clutch onto the floor. "You... you can't do this!"
"We already did," Gabriel murmured without looking up from his tablet.
Richard Cole was on his phone, his voice desperate as he dialed number after number. "Frank! Frank, pick up! It's Richard! I need you to freeze our stock trade... What? What do you mean the federal marshals are in the lobby?!"
Richard dropped his phone. It cracked against the floor. He stared at my brother Luca in utter horror.
"You destroyed my company in ten minutes," Richard whispered, his voice trembling.
"Your company was built on stolen state contracts and money laundering, Mr. Cole," Luca replied coldly, snapping his briefcase shut. "We simply accelerated the inevitable. By nine o'clock tomorrow morning, Cole Global Infrastructure will be in involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Every asset you own—this mansion, your yachts, your country club memberships—will be seized by federal receivers."
Margaret Cole began to sob hysterically, dropping to her knees beside her husband. "This is a nightmare! Elena, please! We treated you like family! We gave you a home!"
I walked over to Margaret and looked down at her.
"You gave me a maid's room on the third floor for the first six months of my marriage," I reminded her, my voice sharp and clear. "You told your friends I was a charity case. You made me sit at the staff table during holiday dinners whenever your high-society friends visited. And tonight, you laughed while your son whipped me in front of fifty people."
Margaret looked away, unable to meet my eyes.
"Every guest in this room is going to leave now," I announced, turning to face the crowd of fifty wealthy onlookers who had watched my abuse in silence. "And if a single word of what happened to me tonight is leaked to the press to protect Adrian's reputation, my brother Nico will release the private dossiers he holds on every single one of your businesses."
Within three seconds, the ballroom was a stampede of tuxedos and evening gowns. The fifty guests scrambled over one another to reach the terrace doors, desperate to escape the wrath of the Moretti family.
Within two minutes, the grand ballroom was empty, except for my family, the four Coles, and Vanessa Hart.
Adrian was still on the floor, looking up at me through bloodshot eyes. "Elena... please. We can talk about this. I'll fire Vanessa! I'll give you whatever you want! Half the house—"
"I don't want half of anything you own, Adrian," I said, pulling my coat tighter around my bruised shoulders. "Because by tomorrow, you won't own a single shoe."
Dominic stepped beside me, placing a warm, heavy arm around my back. "We're leaving, Elena. The air in this house is filthy."
"Wait," I said, stopping near the head table.
I picked up the full bottle of red wine that had started the entire confrontation.
I walked over to Adrian, who was cowering on the floor. I tilted the bottle and poured the dark red liquid slowly over his head, soaking his tailored tuxedo, his hair, and his face.
May you like
"Now we're even for the dress," I said flatly.
I turned my back on him and walked out of the mansion, flanked by my five brothers, as the sirens of approaching federal law enforcement vehicles began to wail in the distance.
