Chapter 2: Blackout on Wall Street
By 9:00 AM the following morning, the executive boardroom of Sterling Global Enterprises was in a state of absolute hysteria.
Julian sat at the long mahogany table, his head in his hands, listening to his father, Thomas Sterling, scream into a telephone. On the massive LED monitors lining the wall, red arrows pointed sharply downward. The Sterling stock ticker was in a freefall, losing 15% of its value every thirty minutes.
"What do you mean the credit lines are frozen?!" Thomas roared, slamming the receiver down. He turned his bloodshot eyes toward his son, his face purple with rage. "What did you do, Julian? Who the hell did you push into that pool?"
"I didn't know she was Arthur Vance's daughter!" Julian pleaded, his voice cracking. "She used her mother's last name! She went by Elena Hayes!"
"Arthur Vance owns the banks that fund our operations! He owns the shipping lines that move our cargo!" Thomas grabbed Julian by his collar, shaking him. "He didn't just short our stock, Julian. He bought our debt. He bought us out from under our own feet!"
Before Julian could answer, the heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open.
Two men in dark suits stepped in, followed by a woman. It was Elena. She was no longer the shivering girl in the ruined red dress. Today, she wore a sharp, tailored charcoal-grey pantsuit. Her dark hair was pulled back into a flawless, professional bun, and the bruises on her face were neatly concealed with makeup—though she made no effort to hide the slight swelling on her jaw.
Beside her walked Arthur Vance’s chief legal counsel.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Elena said calmly, stepping to the head of the table. She pulled out the central leather chair—the CEO's chair—and sat down.
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Thomas slowly let go of his son’s collar, dropping his hands to his sides. "Elena... please. We can settle this. Julian is young, he’s reckless, he will publicly apologize—"
"This isn't a negotiation, Thomas," Elena interrupted, sliding a thick leather folder across the table. "This is a liquidation."
