Chapter 3 - The Fall of Holloway Hospitality
The tension in the library reached a boiling point. Grant stared at Celeste, then at Evelyn, his mind struggling to process the revelation. “Is that true?” Grant yelled at Celeste. “You said you were helping me save the company!” “Shut up, Grant!” Celeste spat, dropping all pretenses of elegance. “You idiot! You brought a sword to a financial dispute! You ruined everything!” “Enough,” Nathan’s voice resonated like thunder.
He raised a single hand, and two of the Mercer security officers immediately moved forward. In a swift, practiced motion, the guard disarmed Grant, wrenching the cavalry sword from his hand and placing it securely in a evidence bag. Grant didn't even have the strength to fight back. He sank onto the edge of his desk, looking completely broken. Cole finished his preliminary check on Evelyn. “Her vitals are stable, but we need to move her now,” Cole declared firm. “The stress alone is dangerous for the baby. My transport team is waiting outside.”
“Go with Cole, Evie,” Nathan said, his tone softening as he looked at his sister. “Daniel and I will handle the rest of this night.” Evelyn looked at Nathan, then at Daniel. “Don't just destroy him financially,” Evelyn whispered, her eyes burning with a cold, clear light. “Uncover the audit. The third-tier suppliers in Dubai. He stole from the employee pension fund three months ago.” Nathan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of proud satisfaction passing through his features. “I knew there was a reason you were our best analyst,” Nathan murmured. “Consider it done.”
Cole helped Evelyn stand up gently. He wrapped a thick, comfortable cashmere coat around her shoulders to cover her torn dress and guided her carefully out of the library, away from the nightmare she had endured for six long years. As the heavy double doors closed behind Evelyn and Cole, the entire energy in the room shifted. Nathan turned his full attention back to Grant and Celeste. He walked over to the desk, pulled out the high-backed leather chair, and sat down. He adjusted his cuffs with unhurried precision. Daniel pulled up a chair beside him, tapping rapidly on a secure tablet.
“Let’s talk about your future, Grant,” Nathan said smoothly. “You... you can't do anything,” Grant said, trying to summon a shred of his former arrogance. “The police will handle a domestic dispute, fine. I’ll hire the best defense lawyers in the state. I’ll be out on bail in two hours. And as for my company, you have no legal right to touch Holloway Hospitality!” Nathan smiled. It was a cold, terrifying expression that sent a shiver down Grant’s spine. “You really don't understand how the world works outside your little bubble, do you?” Nathan remarked gently.
Daniel held up his tablet, showing a screen overflowing with red financial red flags, stock charts plunging downward, and real-time bank notifications. “At 8:15 PM, when Evelyn’s panic ring activated,” Daniel explained, “Mercer Capital initiated a hostile buyout of Holloway Hospitality’s primary debt holders. We currently own eighty-two percent of your company's short-term commercial paper.” Grant stared at the tablet, his breath catching in his throat. “What?” “In simple terms,” Daniel continued with a light chuckle, “you owe us ninety-four million dollars. And according to the default covenants on page forty-seven of your loan agreements, a criminal charge involving corporate officers triggers an immediate, full acceleration of that debt.”
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“You... you bought my debt in twenty minutes?” Grant stammered, terror taking full control of his mind. “We bought it in twelve,” Daniel corrected politely. “And by tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, when the markets open, Mercer Capital will file for immediate liquidation of Holloway Hospitality to settle the outstanding liabilities.” Grant gasped, clutching his chest. “No! My grandfather built this company! My family name is on the front of every hotel!” “Not anymore,” Nathan said coldly. “By noon tomorrow, the Holloway name will be stripped from every building. We are renaming the hotel group after the Mercer Foundation. Every asset will be converted into a trust fund for your unborn daughter—a daughter who will never bear your name, never hear your voice, and never know you existed.”
Grant collapsed off the desk, falling to his knees on the Persian rug. “Nathan, please!” Grant begged, his hands clasped together. “Don't do this! I was desperate! The debt... Westbridge Resorts ruined me! I was facing prison time for the pension fund! I just needed Evelyn’s signature to secure the loan from the offshore investors!” “And you thought you could bleed my sister dry to save your pathetic skin,” Nathan said, leaning forward, his eyes locking onto Grant’s tear-filled face. “You thought because she lived quietly, because she didn't flaunt her wealth, that she was weak. You forgot who raised her.”
