Chapter 2 - The Severed Kingdom
A violent surge of adrenaline tore through Damian’s veins as he frantically reached into his tuxedo coat and whipped out his encrypted titanium smartphone.
He dialed the direct line to the private banking division of Goldman Sachs, his voice shaking with explosive rage.
“Connect me to Vice President Sterling immediately!” Damian barked into the receiver.
“Someone has unlawfully breached my residential address and cleared out fifty million dollars in personal property!”
The voice on the other end was not the subservient, eager tone Damian had grown accustomed to over the last five years.
It was cold, bureaucratic, and entirely detached.
“Mr. Thorne, your executive accounts, line of credit, and secondary corporate liquidity reserves were frozen at midnight pursuant to a unilateral revocation order.”
“What are you talking about?!” Damian roared, his face flushing a dangerous shade of crimson.
“I am the Chief Executive Officer and sole managing director of Thorne Media Group!”
“You were the managing director, Mr. Thorne,” the banker corrected evenly.
“However, ninety-two percent of your operational liquidity was collateralized through the Blackwood Master Trust under the personal signature of Mrs. Clara Vance-Thorne.”
“The primary grantor has invoked Section 9 of the sovereign charter, declaring total fiduciary insolvency on your behalf.”
“Your Centurion card has been canceled, your vehicle leases have been terminated, and your corporate jet in Teterboro is currently being impounded by federal marshals.”
The call went dead with a flat, indifferent click.
Bianca grabbed Damian’s arm, her perfectly applied bridal makeup beginning to crack under the sudden surge of cold sweat.
“Damian! Do something!” she demanded, her voice rising into a panicked wail.
“Call the media board! Call your mother! We have a joint press conference at ten o'clock at the corporate headquarters!”
Damian shoved his phone into his pocket, grabbed Bianca’s wrist with bruising force, and dragged her back toward the private elevator.
“We are going to Thorne Tower,” Damian snarled through clenched teeth.
“I don't care what legal games Clara is trying to play from her deathbed.”
“The board answers to me.”
“The media empire belongs to me.”
Thirty minutes later, their luxury cab screeched to a halt in front of the fifty-story Thorne Media headquarters on Avenue of the Americas.
Reporters and camera crews were already swarming the revolving glass doors, clamoring for coverage of the newlyweds.
Damian forced an arrogant, confident posture, pushing his way through the revolving doors with Bianca clinging tightly to his side.
Before he could take five steps into the soaring marble atrium, four towering private security guards in charcoal tactical uniforms blocked his path.
The lead security officer stepped forward, his chest bearing the silver emblem of Blackwood Global Logistics.
“Halt, Mr. Thorne,” the officer said, holding up a gloved hand.
“You are trespassing on private corporate property.”
“Have you lost your mind?!” Damian bellowed, pointing a furious finger at the massive chrome letters behind the reception desk.
“Read the name on the wall! This is Thorne Media! I built this company from the dirt!”
The guard didn't blink.
He simply pressed a button on his tablet, and two maintenance workers behind the desk began unbolting the heavy chrome letters of the word ‘Thorne.’
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“As of 6:00 AM, the building lease has been terminated, and all executive clearances have been reassigned,” the guard stated coldly.
“You have sixty seconds to vacate the premises before you are removed by physical force.”
