Chapter 6 - A Midnight Meeting in the Shadows of Raines Capital
Nolan stood up so fast his leather chair crashed backward onto the floor. Sloane let out a sharp, terrified gasp, instinctively shrinking away from Dominic as he entered the office.
“Mr. Raines,” Nolan stammered, his voice trembling violently as he tried to keep his composure. “I... I wasn't expecting visitors. To what do we owe the honor?”
Dominic walked slowly toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the panoramic view of the Chicago skyline before turning back to face them.
“I wanted to check on the progress of your five-billion-dollar lakefront project, Whitmore,” Dominic said smoothly, his voice dangerously calm. “I hear things have been a bit... turbulent for you today.”
“We are experiencing a temporary setback, yes,” Nolan managed to say, forcing a weak, pathetic smile. “But nothing my team and I can't handle with a little restructuring—”
“Restructuring won't save a dead company,” Dominic interrupted coldly.
He pulled a thick manila folder from inside his jacket and tossed it casually onto the center of Nolan’s desk. The pages slid across the polished wood, stopping right in front of Nolan’s trembling hands.
Nolan looked down. The top page was stamped with the official legal seal of Raines Capital.
“What... what is this?” Nolan whispered, flipping the pages open.
“That,” Dominic said quietly, “is a comprehensive audit of every financial transaction, zoning bribe, and shady contractor agreement Whitmore Development has engaged in over the past six years. My people compiled it in less than twelve hours.”
Nolan’s face turned the color of ash. His eyes scanned the lines of incriminating evidence—proof of offshore accounts, falsified environmental reports, and illegal political contributions designed to fast-track his lakefront permits.
“This... this is confidential,” Nolan choked out, looking up with horror in his eyes. “You can’t use this—”
“I can, and I will,” Dominic replied evenly. “By tomorrow morning, copies of this dossier will be sitting on the desks of the federal prosecutor, the state attorney general, and every financial regulatory board in the country. Your company will be liquidated, your assets frozen, and you will be facing federal prison time for wire fraud and bribery.”
Sloane shrieked, rushing forward and dropping to her knees in front of Dominic, grabbing desperately at the hem of his trousers.
“Mr. Raines, please! Have mercy on us! It was all my fault! I was the one who attacked her! Punish me, ruin me, do whatever you want to me, but leave Nolan out of this!” Sloane sobbed hysterically.
Dominic looked down at her with absolute disgust, slowly pulling his pant leg away from her grasping fingers, as if touching her would contaminate him.
“You think you are the victim here, Sloane?” Dominic’s voice dropped to a terrifying whisper. “You spent years looking down on people, stepping on those you deemed inferior, and humiliating anyone who crossed your path. You made my wife cry on an evening meant for charity.”
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Dominic leaned down slightly, his dark eyes boring straight into her soul.
“When you hurt Clara, you signed your own execution order in this city. Neither of you will ever work, live, or walk with dignity in Chicago ever again.”
