Chapter 9 - The Mask Begins to Slip
Whispers erupted like wildfire across the ballroom.
“What is that?”
“Is the screen hacked?”
“Look at the ticker stock!”
Marcus Sterling dropped his glass of scotch. It shattered on the polished marble floor. He rushed toward the stage, his face pale as chalk, grabbing his smartphone.
On the massive wall screen, the stock ticker for Sterling Global (STGL) began to plummet in real-time.
$142.50…
$98.10…
$41.00…
$12.25…
“No, no, no!” Marcus screamed into his phone, his confident voice cracking with terror. “Sell! Freeze the trading floor! What do you mean we’re defaulted?!”
Brad’s smile evaporated instantly. He looked back and forth between his screaming father and the plunging red numbers on the screen. “Dad? What’s going on? Is this a joke?”
Suddenly, the red screen wiped clean. A sleek white logo appeared on the wall:
[VANCE STRATEGIC CAPITAL: HOSTILE ASSET ACQUISITION COMPLETE]
[TOTAL SHARES SEIZED: 94.2%]
[NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: UNVEILING NOW]
Marcus stumbled backward, catching himself on the podium. “Vance?... No... Vance Strategic? Who the hell is Vance?!”
In the middle of the frozen, panicked room, Leo calmly set his silver tray down on a nearby table. He unbuttoned his waiter jacket, slipped it off, and tossed it over a chair, revealing a fitted black designer shirt beneath.
He adjusted his cuffs and began walking slowly toward the stage.
Brad grabbed Leo’s arm aggressively. “Where do you think you’re going, scrub?! My dad’s having a crisis!”
Leo didn't even look at Brad’s grip. With a sudden, swift motion, Leo caught Brad’s wrist, applied precise pressure to a joint key point, and twisted.
Brad let out a sharp cry of pain, dropping to his knees on the marble floor.
“Hands off, Brad,” Leo said softly, dropping Brad’s wrist.
Leo stepped up onto the stage, standing right next to the trembling Marcus Sterling.
Leo reached into his pocket, pulled out his black master tablet, and tapped the screen once.
The massive wall display instantly projected Leo’s tablet interface, displaying the universal master key for Vance Strategic Capital and the Aegis Network.
Leo Vance’s name illuminated the top of the board in bold gold letters:
[CHAIRMAN & SOLE PROPRIETOR: LEO JULIAN VANCE]
The entire room gasped. Marcus Sterling stared at Leo, his eyes wide with absolute horror as he recognized the young man’s face.
“Julian’s... Julian’s son?” Marcus whispered, his voice trembling. “You... you’re 'V'?”
May you like
Leo turned to face the room of billionaires, politicians, and stunned high school students.
“Good evening, everyone,” Leo said into the microphone, his voice smooth, commanding, and absolute. “Welcome to the new Sterling Global. Or rather... Vance Enterprises.”
