Chapter 3 - THE SABLE COAT COLLAPSE
The sight of the Chicago Police Department uniforms caused Cassiana to let out a high-pitched, undignified shriek. She backed away from the table as if the blue binder were wired to high explosives, nearly tripping over the hem of her designer skirt.
"Officers," Thaddius said, stepping forward immediately, slipping on the practiced, charismatic smile he used on corporate board members. "There’s been an absurd misunderstanding. This is a private domestic dispute. My ex-wife is having an emotional episode regarding our divorce proceedings and is attempting to disrupt a commercial transaction."
Officer Miller, a seasoned veteran with graying temples and an unreadable expression, didn't return the smile. He glanced down at the clipboard in his hand, then up at Thaddius. "Are you Thaddius Vance?"
"Yes, I am. Executive Vice President at Vanguard Logistics. If you'll allow me to explain—"
"Mr. Vance, we’re not here about a domestic dispute," Officer Miller interrupted flatly. "We’re responding to a formal identity theft and commercial bank fraud complaint filed by Ms. Sterling, accompanied by an emergency freeze order issued by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Securities Division and the State’s Attorney."
Evangelene lunged forward, her sable coat sweeping across the corner of the desk, knocking over a display stand of car brochures that fluttered across the floor. "Do you know who my late husband was? He was Arthur Vance! He funded the mayor’s campaign! You do not address my son in this manner! We will have your badges by dinner time!"
"Ma'am, step back," the second officer warned, his hand resting calmly on his utility belt. "Right now."
I stood beside the table, completely motionless, watching the architectural facade of the great Vance family crumble under the weight of their own arrogance. For five years, Evangelene had treated me like a glorified maid with an adding machine. She had belittled my working-class background, sneered at my parents’ retirement savings, and demanded that I work round-the-clock without billing to hide the fact that her late husband’s estate was nearly bankrupt. She had constructed a palace out of maxed-out credit lines, deferred taxes, and sheer social extortion.
"Thaddy..." Evangelene’s voice lost its imperious screech, trembling with a sudden, icy terror. She grabbed her son’s tailored lapel, her manicured fingers clawing into the fine wool. "Tell me she’s lying. Tell me what she said about my trust account isn't true. My grandfather established that principal! It yields two hundred thousand a year! Where is it?"
Thaddius wouldn't look at her. His gaze remained locked on me, his teeth clenched so hard I could hear the enamel grind. "Lysandra, stop this. We can talk about this in private. I’ll make it right. I’ll pull the financing application. We’ll walk away."
"You can't walk away from an electronic paper trail, Thaddius," I replied, my voice steady, cold, and clear enough for every ear in the building to register. "You drained the remainder of your mother’s trust principal four months ago to cover the margin calls on your unhedged tech shorts. When the trust checks started bouncing, you took out a second mortgage on her Oak Brook estate—using another forged signature on the deed conveyance."
Evangelene’s knees buckled.
The woman who had walked into every gala in the city with her nose tilted toward the heavens collapsed backward onto a beige showroom sofa. Her gold-tipped cane clattered loudly against the floorboards. "You... you mortgaged my house? My home?"
"Mother, she’s twisting the facts!" Thaddius pleaded, kneeling before her, the suave executive completely dismantled into a cornered, sweating predator. "It was an investment vehicle! The returns were supposed to clear by the end of the third quarter! The market shifted unexpectedly!"
"And what about the Mercedes?" Cassiana wailed, completely oblivious to her mother’s medical distress, her mind solely focused on the metallic-grey vehicle sparkling under the showroom lights. "What about my birthday, Thaddius? I promised my followers! The livestream starts in twenty minutes! Who is paying for my car?!"
"Nobody is paying for your car, Cassiana," I said, stepping toward the exit with my leather tote bag neatly tucked beneath my arm. "In fact, if I were you, I’d take an Uber back to your apartment and start boxing up your wardrobe. Because when the forensic audit of your brother’s shell companies is finalized by Friday morning, the IRS will seize every luxury asset purchased with co-mingled funds. Including that apartment he leases in your name."
"You bitch!" Cassiana screamed, lunging at me with her scarlet nails outstretched.
Officer Miller’s partner stepped between us with practiced speed, catching her wrist and pushing her back firmly. "Ma'am! Do not make another move or you will be arrested for assault right now."
Thaddius rose slowly to his feet, turning toward me. All the charm, all the polish, had evaporated completely, leaving behind an ugly, venomous sneer. "You think you’re so smart, don't you, Lysandra? You think you can bring me down? I built Vanguard’s logistics network! The board answers to me! By tomorrow morning, our corporate counsel will bury your little firm in enough injunctions and defamation suits to bleed you dry for the rest of your pathetic life!"
I stopped at the threshold of the glass doors and looked back over my shoulder. The smile on my lips was genuine, warm, and entirely lethal.
May you like
"Oh, Thaddius," I whispered. "I forgot to mention. The board doesn't answer to you anymore. I sent a copy of the federal disclosure file to the Chairman of the Audit Committee at eight-thirty this morning. Check your phone."
As if summoned by a conductor's baton, the high-end smartphone in his coat pocket began to vibrate furiously against his chest.
