Chapter 7 - The Wrath of Margaret Holloway
Downstairs, the atmosphere had deteriorated into chaos.
Word of what had occurred had spread through the party like wildfire. Ethan had tried to slip out the front doors, only to find the valet service temporarily suspended on Margaret Holloway’s direct orders. The elite of the city were not about to let their prime evening entertainment escape so easily.
When I walked down the grand staircase beside Julian Vance, Arthur Bellamy, and Margaret, the murmurs died instantly.
Ethan stood by the entrance, clutching his coat, looking like a cornered animal. Beside him, surprisingly, Vanessa had returned—having managed to bypass the outer guards by throwing an unholy tantrum, her makeup streaked with tears of fury.
"There she is!" Vanessa shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Julian Vance? Why is Vance & Sterling representing this nobody? Ethan, do something! She’s ruining everything!"
"Shut up, Vanessa!" Ethan barked, his face pale and clammy. He pushed past her and hurried toward the foot of the stairs. "Clara, please. Let's step outside. The press is already catching wind of this. Think of our reputation!"
"Your reputation?" Margaret Holloway’s voice cut through the grand foyer like a guillotine. She stepped forward, commanding every pair of eyes in the room. "Ethan Mercer, as of ten minutes ago, my family’s foundation has terminated our consulting agreement with your logistics firm. Furthermore, I have spoken with three members of the municipal transit board. Your underwriting contract will not be renewed."
Gasps rippled across the room. That contract represented over seventy percent of Ethan's operational revenue. Without it, his firm was insolvent.
"Mrs. Holloway, no! You can't do that!" Ethan stammered, his eyes bulging in terror. "We have a signed memorandum of understanding! You can't breach it over a personal dispute!"
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"A personal dispute?" Julian Vance stepped forward, pulling a legal document from his breast pocket. "Mr. Mercer, under Section 4 of your municipal vendor code, any executive under active criminal investigation for financial fraud and grand larceny is immediately disqualified from municipal bidding."
Ethan froze. "What... what did you say?"
