Chapter 7 - The Viral Media Tsunami And The Dismantling Of Vale Technologies In Front Of The National Press
By eight o'clock the following morning, the financial world had ceased to care about Adrian Vale's upcoming wedding.
Instead, the front pages of every major financial publication featured a different, much more scandalous headline.VALE TECHNOLOGIES EMBEZZLEMENT SCANDAL: HOW A SILICON VALLEY DARLING BUILT AN EMPIRE ON FRAUD.
Adrian walked through the glass doors of his corporate headquarters to find absolute chaos.
The open-plan bullpen was entirely deserted except for three corporate liquidators packing computer towers into cardboard boxes.
His chief financial officer, Marcus, was nowhere to be seen, having already fled the jurisdiction with his personal severance package.
Adrian staggered toward his private glass office, but a security guard intercepted him at the threshold.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Vale, but your biometric access has been revoked," the guard said, pointing toward the notice taped to the glass.
"Federal marshals have seized all assets pending a forensic audit."
Before Adrian could demand answers, a horde of reporters and camera crews surged around the corner from the elevator banks.
Flashbulbs popped blindingly in his face, illuminating every drop of sweat on his pale forehead.
"Mr. Vale! Is it true that your company was entirely funded by the Sterling family trust under false pretenses?"
"Mr. Vale, do you have a comment regarding the federal investigation into your fraudulent business expenses?"
"Did Mara Sterling dump you because you couldn't afford your own life?"
The questions fired like machine-gun bullets, overlapping and echoing off the marble pillars of the lobby.
Adrian held his hands up to shield his eyes, backing away from the aggressive wall of microphones.
"No comment," he choked out, his voice barely audible over the din of shouting journalists.
"Please, turn those cameras off!"
He turned and sprinted toward the emergency stairwell, taking the steps three at a time until he reached the street level.
He hailed a yellow cab, sliding into the back seat with his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
He looked out the dirty window as the cab pulled away from the building that had bore his name in gleaming gold letters just two days prior.
The gold letters were already gone.
Workers on scaffolding were peeling the vinyl sign off the glass facade, exposing the bare, dark stone underneath.
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His company, his reputation, his social standing, and his future had been erased in less than forty-eight hours.
And the architects of his destruction hadn't even broken a sweat.
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