Chapter 3 - The Illusion of Triumph
Inside the master bedroom of the Thorne mansion, the atmosphere was thick with triumphant vanity.
Chloe stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror, holding a flute of vintage Dom Pérignon while two stylists put the finishing touches on her emerald haute couture gown. Her neck sparkled with a three-carat diamond necklace that David had purchased using the company’s executive slush fund.
“I still can’t believe that pathetic loser signed the papers so easily,” Chloe sneered, admiring her reflection. “I thought she’d beg on her knees for a few thousand dollars.”
David stood nearby, adjusting his black silk bow tie. He let out a condescending scoff. “Kate knew she had no choice. She was a penniless orphan when I met her. Without me, she would have been starving on the streets. To think she had the nerve to threaten me before she walked out!”
Martha swept into the room, wearing a heavy velvet gown and dripping in pearls. Her right cheek was still slightly flushed from the counter-slap Catherine had delivered hours earlier, but her face was flushed with arrogant excitement.
“Forget about that gutter girl,” Martha declared, waving her hand dismissively. “Tonight at the Grand Aster, the Chairman of the Sterling Group—Mr. Harrison Sterling himself—will be making an appearance! David, if you secure the investment from the Sterling family tonight, our Thorne Group will officially enter the billionaire tier!”
“Don’t worry, Mother,” David grinned, checking his gold Rolex. “I’ve already arranged everything. The venue manager at the Grand Aster gave us the front-row VIP table right beside Chairman Sterling’s private lounge. Once he sees our expansion proposal, the deal is sealed.”
Suddenly, David’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. He picked it up, seeing the name of his Chief Financial Officer flashing on the screen.
“What is it, Frank?” David asked, stepping toward the window.
“Mr. Thorne!” the CFO’s panicked voice crackled through the speaker. “We have a major system glitch! Chase Manhattan just flagged our $500 million credit facility! They’re demanding an immediate liquidity audit!”
David frowned, unbothered. “Calm down, Frank. It’s just a routine quarterly review. Banks always do this before a major merger. Once we meet Chairman Sterling tonight, Chase will roll over the loan instantly.”
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“But sir, our shipping vessels in New Jersey—”
“I said handle it, Frank!” David barked, hanging up the call with an irritated click. He turned back to Chloe and Martha, putting on his polished, smug smile. “Just administrative noise. Ladies, the limousine is waiting. Tonight, New York belongs to the Thorne family.”
