Chapter 4 - The Trap Set by Snakes
By noon, news of the scandal at the Harwick Foundation Gala had exploded across social media and financial news outlets.
Headlines splashed photos of Theodore Alden kissing Victoria Vance beside bold, sensational titles: “Alden Logistics Heir Spotted with Vance Dynasty Heiress—Merger or Secret Affair?”
Inside the executive boardroom of Alden Tower downtown, the atmosphere was lethal.
Theo sat at the far end of the mahogany table, looking pale and exhausted. Corvin paced near the floor-to-ceiling windows, nervously checking his phone every twenty seconds.
The double doors opened, and Marina walked in, flanked by two senior corporate attorneys who had represented her father’s trust for twenty years.
Theo stood up immediately. “Marina—”
“Save it,” she said, taking the seat at the head of the table. “We have twenty minutes before Richard Vance arrives for the ratification meeting. Corvin, show her what you found.”
Corvin tapped a tablet and projected a digital file onto the wall screen.
“The broadcast last night wasn't an accident,” Corvin explained, his voice subdued. “The camera crew that caught Theo and Victoria near the window wasn't from a local news station. They were hired by a private PR firm owned directly by Victoria Vance.”
Theo’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?”
“Victoria tipped off the media herself,” Marina said, her voice dropping into a hard, analytical tone. “She knew you were hesitated to sign the full equity transfer, Theo. So she staged a public kiss in front of live cameras to create a public perception that our marriage was over and that the Alden-Vance alliance was official.”
Theo sank back into his chair, a wave of profound self-loathing washing over him. “She used me. She framed it to look like an affair so she could force my hand.”
“She didn't just use you, Theo,” Marina said, looking at him with pity and sharp disappointment. “She played you because you were arrogant enough to believe a twenty-four-year-old heiress was enchanted by your charm. You walked straight into a trap designed to strip our family of its logistics dominance.”
Before Theo could answer, the boardroom doors flew open again.
Richard Vance walked in.
At sixty-two, Senator Richard Vance was a man who projected absolute, terrifying power. Dressed in a navy pinstripe suit with a silver eagle pin on his lapel, he exuded the confidence of a politician who bought judges and owned shipping lanes. Beside him walked Victoria Vance, wearing a sleek crimson dress, a victorious, sharp smile playing on her lips.
“Theodore,” Richard Vance boomed, walking toward the table without waiting for an invitation. “I see the press is having a field day. No matter. Once we sign the final ratification papers today, the story becomes a romantic business alliance.”
Victoria stepped forward, casting a dismissive, amused glance at Marina. “Oh, look. You brought your wife to the signing. How touching. Is she here to sign the settlement papers?”
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Marina didn't flinch. She sat perfectly still, holding Victoria’s gaze until the smile on the younger woman’s face began to falter.
“Miss Vance,” Marina said softly, her voice echoing clearly through the quiet room. “I am not here to sign a settlement. I am here to inform you that your contract is dead.”
