Chapter 6 - Frosting and Foreclosure
The sharp contrast of the manila envelope piercing the pristine white frosting of the wedding-style cake sent a shudder through the room. The delicate sugar pearls bordering the cake rolled off the tier, scattering across the polished mahogany table like fallen tears. No one moved to clean them up.
Julian’s eyes locked onto the envelope, his jaw tightening so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek.
“What is that, Victor?” Julian demanded, his voice dangerously low, stripped of all its previous panic. Desperation had finally hardened into a cold, lethal resolve. “Get to the point before I throw you through that window.”
Victor smirked, unbuttoning his charcoal jacket with slow, deliberate movements. He pulled out a gold-plated pen and clicked it twice, though he made no move to sign anything.
“You always were hot-headed, Julian. That’s why your father left the primary holdings to a trust managed by a board rather than directly to you,” Victor said smoothly, leaning his palms against the edge of the table. “You think this house, the land, the cars, even the trust fund paying for that little baby’s formula are yours? They aren't. They’re collateral.”
Clara stepped away from the sideboard, her face flushed with sudden anger as she abandoned her defensive posture over the baby carrier.
“You lied to me, Victor!” Clara shouted, her voice cracking as she rounded on her brother. “You told me the legal papers I signed would only secure a trust fund for Leo’s education! You said nothing about the family estate or mortgages!”
Victor rolled his eyes, a look of profound boredom crossing his features.
“Grow up, Clara. Nobody hands over millions of dollars for the sake of an infant’s college fund,” Victor scoffed. “You were my inside person. You gave me access to the Vance family ledgers, and in exchange, I promised you a comfortable life once the dust settled. Unfortunately, your mother-in-law is a paranoid dragon hoarding gold she doesn't even know how to spend anymore.”
Elena didn't blink. She maintained her position at the head of the table, her champagne glass still sitting untouched beside the blue folder.
“Hoarding gold?” Elena repeated, her voice dripping with lethal calm. “Victor, you seem to labor under the delusion that because you bought a distressed note from a regional bank, you actually control the assets attached to it.”
Victor’s smirk falter slightly for a fraction of a second, though he quickly recovered.
“The bank audit is finalized, Elena. The debt is called in. You have forty-eight hours to vacate the premises, or the sheriff’s department enforces the seizure.”
Elena smiled. It was a terrifying, humorless expression that reached none of her eyes. She slowly reached out, picked up the manila envelope resting in the cake, and slid it toward herself with two fingers.
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“You forgot to check the registry date on that bank note, Victor,” Elena whispered, pulling a single folded slip of paper from inside the envelope. “Because three days ago, I paid the entire principal off in cash.”
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