Chapter 2 - The Fall of Nova Group
Secretary Kim’s voice was crisp, cutting through the silence of the Roberts dining room like a surgical blade. The phone speaker carried her words clearly across the polished mahogany table.
"Chairman Vance," Secretary Kim repeated, her tone entirely professional and devoid of warmth. "All systems are green. We are ready to execute the board's emergency mandate. Please confirm your directive."
David’s hand froze halfway to his wineglass. His smug grin collapsed into a mask of sudden, frantic confusion. He looked from my phone screen to my face, his eyes darting wildly as if trying to piece together a puzzle that made no sense.
"What is this?" David stammered, his voice cracking slightly on the last syllable. "What kind of cheap prank is this? Mark! Control your wife! She’s completely losing her mind!"
Mark finally pushed his chair back. His face was pale, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and disbelief. He had spent years trying to earn his father’s approval, distancing himself from my professional life just to keep the peace. He knew what I did, but seeing it invoked like this—cold, absolute, and merciless—seemed to paralyze him.
"Elena..." Mark whispered, taking a half-step toward me. "Elena, stop. Let’s just go home. Please."
I didn’t look at Mark. My gaze remained locked on David, whose chest was beginning to heave beneath his expensive designer sweater.
"Secretary Kim," I said clearly, my voice steady and low. "Initiate Project Goliath. Terminate all pending acquisitions involving Nova Group effective immediately. Call in the bridge loan we extended to them last quarter, demand full settlement within twenty-four hours, and notify their primary board investors that Vance Global is withdrawing all underwriting support."
Secretary Kim didn't hesitate for a single second. "Understood, Chairman Vance. Executing asset freeze and loan recall across all regional accounts. Nova Group’s stock will halt trading before the morning bell. Anything else?"
"Make sure the compliance audit team investigates David Roberts' division specifically," I added, glancing down at David’s golden watch. "I want every single expense report, client contract, and sales metric from his desk audited by Monday morning. If there’s even a hint of corporate malpractice—and we both know there is—ensure the federal regulators receive the complete dossier by noon."
"Consider it done," Secretary Kim replied. "Good evening, Chairman."
Click.
The line went dead.
The dining room was so quiet you could hear the faint, muffled hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Brenda’s hand was still frozen near her throat, her fingers trembling against her diamond necklace. Clara’s mouth was slightly open, her red wine forgotten in front of her.
David lunged forward, slamming both palms onto the table. The crystal glasses rattled violently.
"You psychotic bitch!" David roared, spittle flying from his lips. "You don't know anything about Nova Group! I closed the Rogers deal! The executive board loves me! You can't just—you can't touch me! Dad, tell her! Call the police! Call someone!"
David’s father, Arthur Roberts, slowly rose to his feet. His face was mottled with a furious, ugly purple. He pointed a shaking, liver-spotted finger straight at my chest.
"Get out of my house," Arthur hissed, his voice trembling with rage. "You ungrateful, lying piece of trash. You bring a pathetic little beggar child into my home, ruin Christmas Eve with your pathetic theatrics, and now you stand there threatening my son’s career? Out! Get out before I have you thrown into the street!"
I tucked my phone back into my pocket. I reached down, scooped Lily up into my arms again, and rested her small head against my shoulder. She was still sniffing softly, her fingers clutching the collar of my sweater.
"Your house, Arthur?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm. "You might want to check whose name is actually on the deed."
Brenda let out a sharp, hysterical gasp. "What are you talking about? This house has been in the Roberts family for thirty years!"
"Thirty years ago, your husband took a massive commercial loan he couldn't repay," I said, stepping backward toward the foyer. "Vance Global bought the debt portfolio three years ago during the market crash. Every brick, every window, and every piece of silver on this table belongs to my holding company. I simply let you live here because Mark asked me to keep the peace."
The color vanished entirely from Arthur’s face. He grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself, his knees suddenly buckling beneath him.
"No," Arthur whispered, shaking his head in denial. "No... that's impossible. That's a lie."
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"You can ask Secretary Kim to send you the paperwork in the morning," I said quietly. "If you still have an office to go to."
I turned my back on them, walking past the glittering Christmas tree, past the massive pile of unopened gifts, and straight out the heavy oak front door into the cold December night.
