Chapter 4 - The Financial Massacre
Morning came to the city, bringing with it a storm the Whitmore family never saw coming.
At exactly 9:00 AM, Richard Whitmore walked into his corporate office.
He had a bandage on his head and a terrible hangover.
He planned to call his lawyers and have Evelyn served with a custody suit.
He wanted to destroy her before she could tell anyone what had happened.
But his secretary was already in his office, crying.
“Mr. Whitmore, the bank just called,” she stammered.
“What about?” Richard snapped, pouring a cup of coffee.
“Our credit lines. All of them. They’ve been frozen.”
Richard froze. “That’s impossible. Call the branch manager.”
“I did. He said the orders came from the federal oversight committee. We are under investigation for massive corporate fraud.”
Richard dropped his coffee mug. It shattered, just like the glass table the night before.
His phone rang. It was Margaret.
“Richard!” her voice was shrill and panicked. “My credit cards were declined at the salon! And there are reporters outside the estate!”
“Reporters? About Evelyn?”
“No! About our offshore accounts! Someone leaked our tax records to the press!”
Across the city, in the penthouse of the Sterling tower, Evelyn watched the news on a massive flat-screen TV.
Breaking News banners flashed across the bottom of the screen.
WHITMORE ENTERPRISES UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. STOCKS PLUMMET 40%.
Alexander walked into the room, holding little Leo, who was happily chewing on a solid gold teething ring.
“Step one is complete,” Alexander said, bouncing his nephew.
Evelyn watched the screen as footage of Richard fleeing his office building was shown.
He looked terrified. He looked small.
“He’s going to fight back,” Evelyn said. “He’s arrogant. He won’t accept defeat this easily.”
“Let him fight,” Alexander replied. “A fish on a hook fights the hardest right before it’s pulled into the boat.”
Evelyn’s phone buzzed.
It was an unknown number, but she recognized the prefix.
It was Richard.
She answered it, putting it on speaker.
“Evelyn!” Richard screamed into the phone. “I know it’s you! You and whatever thug family you belong to!”
“Hello, Richard,” Evelyn said calmly.
“You think you can ruin me?! I have the best lawyers in the state! I will take Leo from you, and I will lock you away in an asylum!”
Evelyn didn’t raise her voice.
“You don’t have lawyers anymore, Richard. Check your emails.”
There was a pause on the line. She heard the clicking of a keyboard.
Then, a sharp intake of breath.
Every single law firm on retainer with Whitmore Enterprises had dropped them, citing conflicts of interest.
The Sterling family had simply bought out every law firm in the city overnight.
“Who... who are you?” Richard whispered, the reality finally sinking in.
May you like
“I’m the woman you shouldn’t have pushed,” Evelyn said.
She ended the call.
