Chapter 6 - The Trap Sprung
The grand marble lobby of Moretti Enterprises was filled with tension.
Julian Sterling stood near the security turnstiles, wearing a three-piece Italian suit, his hair perfectly combed back. Next to him were two uniform Chicago police officers and a stern-faced woman holding court documents.
"I demand you bring my daughter down immediately!" Julian shouted, his voice echoing off the glass walls. "Clara Vance is an unfit mother, a convicted felon in the making, and she has unlawfully detained my daughter!"
The private elevator chimed. The doors slid open, and Dominic Moretti stepped out, flanked by his chief legal advisor, Arthur Vance (no relation to Clara), and two towering security guards. Clara and Maya remained safely upstairs under Chloe's protection.
Julian sneered as Dominic approached. "Moretti. I didn't expect you to get involved in low-level domestic disputes. Hand over my daughter and the woman, and we can pretend this little interference never happened. We still have a hundred-million-dollar deal to sign, don't we?"
Dominic stopped five feet away, his hands folded calmly behind his back. The air around him bristled with power.
"Mr. Sterling," Dominic said, his voice smooth as silk and cold as ice. "You are trespassing on private property."
"I have a court warrant for temporary custody!" Julian snapped, waving a piece of paper. "Clara is homeless, mentally unstable, and incapable of providing basic necessities for Maya. She took my child onto the streets!"
Arthur Vance, Dominic's chief legal counsel, stepped forward, pulling a crisp leather folder from his briefcase. "Actually, Mr. Sterling, that warrant was invalidated two hours ago by Judge Thomas in the Cook County Family Court. We presented documented proof that Mrs. Vance is currently employed as Chief Financial Auditor at Moretti Enterprises with an annual salary of four hundred thousand dollars, and resides in a legal, permanent luxury residence owned by this firm."
Julian’s face went pale. "What? That's ridiculous! She's a broke, blacklisted—"
"She was blacklisted by your corrupt influence," Dominic interrupted, stepping closer until he towered over Julian. "She is no longer alone, Julian. And as for our hundred-million-dollar credit line..."
Dominic reached into his suit jacket, pulled out a signed document, and deliberately tore it in half, letting the pieces fall to the polished marble floor at Julian's feet.
"The deal is dead," Dominic said quietly. "In fact, as of nine o'clock this morning, Moretti Capital has quietly acquired forty-two percent of Sterling Financial's publicly traded debt notes. I am now your largest primary creditor. And I am calling in your loans. You have forty-eight hours to liquidate forty million dollars in cash, or Moretti Capital will initiate immediate foreclosure proceedings against your firm."
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Julian stared at the torn papers, horror dawning in his eyes. "You... you can't do this! You're destroying my company over a bitter ex-wife!"
"I'm not destroying your company because of Clara," Dominic whispered, leaning in so only Julian could hear. "I'm destroying it because you left a six-year-old girl starving in the freezing rain while you sat in a penthouse eating caviar. Now get out of my building before I have my security team physically throw you into the street."
