Chapter 4 - The Shadow of Retaliation
Outside the glittering hotel, a black luxury sedan tore through the downtown rain.
Inside the vehicle, Victoria Vance was trembling violently, her mascara streaked across her cheeks in ugly black lines. Her designer purse lay discarded on the floor mat, its contents spilled everywhere.
“He humiliated me!” she shrieked into her phone, slamming her fist against the leather seat. “In front of the mayor! In front of the entire Sinclair family! He canceled the harbor contract, Father! He stripped our vendor privileges!”
On the other end of the line, Richard Vance’s voice was thunderous, vibrating with barely contained rage. “What did you do, Victoria?! That contract was our company’s lifeline! Without the Moretti shipping rights, our creditors will call in our loans by the end of the quarter!”
“It wasn't my fault!” Victoria cried hysterically. “There was an old woman wandering around looking like a vagrant! She spilled punch near my gown, and when I went to discipline her, a filthy little waitress grabbed my wrist and made a scene! How was I supposed to know that old hag was Isabella Moretti?! She’s supposed to be locked away in a nursing facility!”
A long, chilling silence stretched across the line before Richard Vance spoke again, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. “Who was the waitress?”
“Some nobody. A temp worker. I heard the manager call her Emma Carter.”
“Emma Carter,” Richard repeated slowly. “Vincent Moretti doesn't make impulsive decisions unless his mother is involved. If he canceled a fifty-million-dollar deal over a waitress grabbing your wrist, he will likely reward her to flaunt his moral superiority.”
“Father, what are we going to do?” Victoria sobbed, panic setting in. “If the board finds out I caused this—”
“The board won't find out until tomorrow morning,” Richard said ruthlessly. “Which gives us tonight to find out everything about this Emma Carter. Nobody destroys the Vance family without paying a blood price. If Vincent wants to protect a little street rat, let’s see how much she can endure before she breaks.”
Richard hung up abruptly.
May you like
Victoria stared at the darkened screen of her phone, her tearful expression contorting into a mask of pure venom. She wiped her cheeks aggressively. “Emma Carter,” she whispered through clenched teeth. “You think you won tonight? You have no idea what you’ve just invited into your pathetic life.”
***
