Chapter 4 - THE TIDE TURNS
By Wednesday, the fallout from Caleb’s actions had turned into an uncontrollable avalanche.
The tech industry news was brutal. TechCrunch, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal all ran front-page articles detailing the sudden collapse of NextGen Innovations' CEO.
NEXTGEN CEO CALEB VANCE OUSTED AMID FORENSIC EMBEZZLEMENT INVESTIGATION
STERLING HEIRESS STRIPPED OF ASSETS BY HUSBAND DAYS AFTER GIVING BIRTH
The public narrative, which Caleb had spent years trying to manipulate, turned violently against him. Social media users hunted down Brenda’s Instagram post—the picture of her holding a Starbucks cup in the front seat of Cordelia’s Maybach while Cordelia stood at the bus stop with a newborn—and it went viral, gaining over forty million views in forty-eight hours.
Brenda’s social media accounts were flooded with millions of outrage comments, forcing her to deactivate every profile.
Donna and Gary were trapped inside Caleb’s Midtown apartment, terrified to open the front door because paparazzi and investigative reporters were stationed in the lobby twenty-four hours a day.
"Caleb, do something!" Donna wailed, pacing back and forth across the bare hardwood floor of the living room, sitting on a cheap folding chair they had purchased from a local hardware store. "My friends in Tampa are calling me! They saw my face on the news! They’re calling us monsters!"
"Shut up, Mom!" Caleb yelled, his eyes bloodshot, his hair unkempt, wearing the same crumpled shirt he had worn for two days. He was frantically pacing, trying to dial lawyer after lawyer.
Every reputable defense attorney in Manhattan took one look at the involvement of Harrison Sterling and hung up the phone. No one wanted to go to war against the Sterling legal apparatus.
"Mr. Vance," a low-budget public defender finally told him over the phone. "My advice? Sell whatever personal assets you have left, prepare for civil judgment, and hope the federal prosecutors offer a plea deal."
"I don't have personal assets!" Caleb screamed into the phone. "Everything was under her name or funded through the corporate lines!"
"Then God help you," the attorney said and clicked off.
Meanwhile, seventy miles away in Greenwich, Connecticut, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The Sterling Estate was a fortress of peace and luxury.
I sat in the sunroom overlooking the manicured rose gardens, cradling baby Leo in my arms. The physical pain from my C-section was finally starting to subside, thanks to proper rest, expert nursing care, and an environment free of psychological abuse.
My father walked in, carrying a cup of chamomile tea, which he placed on the glass table beside me.
"How are you feeling today, Cordelia?" he asked, taking a seat opposite me.
"Better," I said, smiling down at Leo, who was sleeping peacefully against my shoulder. "Much better. The doctor said my incision is healing well."
"Good," Harrison said. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a tablet. "The receiver has finalized the assessment of NextGen’s assets. Vanguard Capital wants to restructuring the company under your leadership."
I looked at my father. "They want me to take over as CEO?"
"You built the product, Cordelia," Harrison said simply. "Caleb was nothing more than a glorified salesman who believed his own marketing. The board knows that without your engineering architecture and financial discipline, NextGen is worthless. They are offering to buy out Caleb’s remaining frozen shares at a fraction of a cent on the dollar and re-issue master control to you."
I took a sip of the tea, feeling a deep, satisfying warmth spread through my chest.
"Accept the offer," I said. "On one condition."
"Name it."
"We rebrand the company. NextGen was his vanity project. We rename it Aegis Systems."
Harrison smiled proudly. "Consider it done."
He leaned forward, his expression growing serious. "And regarding Caleb's personal criminal charges?"
"Has the SDNY issued the indictment?" I asked.
"An hour ago," Harrison replied. "Grand larceny, bank fraud, and wire fraud. The federal prosecutor signed the warrant this morning. They are moving in to execute it at his apartment at 9:00 AM tomorrow."
I looked out the window at the morning sunlight hitting the green leaves of the estate grounds.
"I want to be there," I said.
May you like
Harrison raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You don't need to subject yourself to that filth, Cordelia."
"I took the bus home from the hospital, Dad," I said calmly, looking him in the eye. "I want to watch him leave his apartment in handcuffs."
