Chapter 13 - The Ghost of the Past
Two weeks passed with swift, unrelenting efficiency. The corporate restructuring of Vance Global was complete, and public trust in the company soared to an all-time high. I had appointed Samuel Price as general counsel and Director Harrison as senior vice chairman, creating a leadership team built on loyalty rather than bloodline deceit.
One rainy Tuesday afternoon, while reviewing philanthropic grants in the study, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number originating from a federal correctional facility in upstate New York.
I pressed accept.
“Elena?”
The voice was hollow, raspy, and stripped of all its former arrogance. It was Marcus.
“Marcus,” I said evenly, leaning back in my leather chair. “To what do I owe the call? Did the prison commissary run out of your favorite snacks?”
There was a long, agonizing pause on the other end of the line. When Marcus spoke again, his voice trembled with suppressed rage and self-pity.
“You ruined my life,” he whispered, the sound cracking with raw emotion. “I’m facing thirty years in a federal penitentiary. Vanessa packed her bags and left the country. Uncle Raymond won't even look at me in the holding block. You took everything.”
“I didn't take anything, Marcus,” I replied, my voice calm and steady. “You gave it away. Every single illegal wire transfer, every forged signature, every shady deal with Apex Holdings—you did that to yourself because you believed your own hype.”
“Dad loved me!” Marcus yelled, his voice suddenly spiking with desperate fury. “I was the son! I was supposed to run Vance Global!”
“Dad loved you enough to give you every chance to change,” I said quietly. “And you chose greed every single time. Goodbye, Marcus. Don't call this number again.”
May you like
I hung up the phone and blocked the facility number.
The rain tapped softly against the windowpane. I stood up and walked over to the portrait of my father hanging above the mantelpiece. In the painting, his eyes looked warm and steady, as if he were watching over me, knowing that the storm had finally passed.
