Chapter 9 - The Public Slaughter
By the following morning,
the war had escalated from private boardrooms to the front pages of every major financial publication in the country.
Sloane Bennett attempted to launch a desperate media campaign through a hired crisis PR firm,
claiming I was an unstable,
vindictive ex-spouse seeking personal revenge through corporate sabotage.
I did not waste time issuing emotional public statements or defending my character.
Instead,
I released certified forensic handwriting reports,
security camera timestamps,
and bank transfer logs directly to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Within four hours,
the SEC issued a formal freeze on all international accounts tied to Vale Meridian’s maritime logistics division.
The board of directors met in an emergency session and officially named me interim administrative trustee,
giving me full operational control over the conglomerate's assets.
Adrian was formally stripped of his executive access,
his keycards deactivated,
his company vehicles seized,
and his personal bank accounts frozen pending federal review.
He was effectively trapped inside our Long Island estate,
surrounded by security personnel who now reported directly to my office.
He called my private line seventeen times throughout the evening,
his messages growing increasingly desperate and unhinged.
I finally answered on the eighteenth attempt.
"Nora,"
he pleaded,
his voice trembling,
sounding completely broken.
"Meet me at the Long Island house tonight."
"Just the two of us,"
"no lawyers,"
May you like
"no security."
"Let's settle this before everyone we know goes down in flames."
