Divorced on Monday, Bought the City on Tuesday: The Infinite

Live Execution

Chapter 23

The crowd held its collective breath. The tension in the ballroom was thick enough to snap a steel cable.

Julian scoffed, adjusting his expensive ivory jacket. "I'm finished when the police slap the cuffs on you, Vance. The game is over. Vanguard Capital owns this city now."

Arthur tapped the side of the wooden podium twice.

Offstage, Nyx cracked her knuckles. "Showtime, boss."

The massive digital projector screen spanning the entire wall behind Arthur violently flickered to life. The Vance Corp logo a sleek, minimalist silver 'V' flashed for two seconds before dissolving into a live, high-definition feed of a banking dashboard.

The reporters squinted, trying to read the massive numbers on the screen.

"You talk a lot about Vanguard Capital, Julian," Arthur said smoothly, his voice drowning out the murmurs. "You claim they gave you ten billion dollars to save your miserable life. You claim they are your invincible shield."

Arthur took a step away from the podium, gesturing to the massive screen.

"But you fundamentally misunderstood the food chain. You don't know how to look up."

The dashboard on the screen refreshed. A transfer authorization document appeared, large enough for everyone in the back row to read the bold black text.

[Acquisition Complete: Vanguard Capital LLC.]

[Purchasing Entity: Vance Corp.]

[Majority Shareholder: Arthur Vance. 100% Equity.]

The gaunt man from the Capital City—Silas Vance—froze. His arrogant posture shattered instantly. He shoved his hand into his tailored coat pocket, pulling out his secure satellite phone. He stared at the screen, his thumbs moving frantically.

"What is this?" Julian laughed nervously, looking back and forth between the screen and the reporters. "More fake documents? You hired a graphic designer to mock up a fake bank transfer? Do you honestly think anyone here is stupid enough to believe you bought a fifty-billion-dollar holding company?!"

Ring. Ring.

Silas’s satellite phone began blaring a high-pitched emergency tone.

The gray-haired director answered it, pressing the phone tight against his ear. As he listened to the frantic screaming on the other end of the line, all the color violently drained from his face. He looked like he had just swallowed ground glass.

"Director?" Julian asked, his voice cracking slightly. He reached out to touch the older man's arm. "Tell them it's a fake. Tell the press."

Silas slapped Julian’s hand away with brutal force.

"Don't touch me, you dead man," Silas hissed. His voice was loud enough for the front-row microphones to pick up.

Silas looked up at Arthur standing on the stage. There was no defiance left in the older man's eyes. There was only absolute, mind-numbing terror. He slowly bowed his head, a gesture of complete submission to the new owner of his entire existence.

"Mr. Vance," Silas called out, his voice trembling violently. "I... I was unaware of the transfer. I await your orders, sir."

Pandemonium erupted.

Three hundred reporters started screaming questions at the same time. Flashbulbs went off like a strobe light.

Julian’s knees buckled. He fell back into his chair, his mouth opening and closing in soundless panic. The ivory suit suddenly looked like a burial shroud.

"Silas," Arthur commanded over the microphone, silencing the room once more. "The ten billion dollars Vanguard Capital extended to the Sterling Law Group. Cancel it. Terminate the contract. And call in their existing debts. All of them."

"Immediately, sir," Silas choked out, tapping rapidly on his tablet. "Consider them liquidated."

"No! No, you can't do this!" Julian shrieked, scrambling up from his chair. He lunged toward Silas, grabbing the man by the lapels. "We have a signed contract! My father promised your council our real estate!"

Silas shoved Julian backward, sending the younger man crashing into the press barrier. "Your real estate belongs to Vance Corp now, you idiot. You're bankrupt. Keep away from me."

Arthur stood over them, entirely devoid of mercy.

"Julian," Arthur said quietly. The microphone picked up every word, broadcasting the execution to the world. "I told you yesterday. I am the mountain. You tried to climb it. Now, you get to fall."

Eleanor was shaking uncontrollably. She looked at Julian, who was currently hyperventilating on the carpet, clutching his chest as he realized his life was permanently, irreversibly over. He had no money. No allies. No future.

Desperation is a powerful motivator.

Eleanor stood up. She smoothed down her pearl-white dress, fixed her hair, and forced tears to well up in her eyes. She ignored Julian entirely and walked right up to the edge of the stage, staring up at Arthur.

"Arthur," Eleanor cried, pitching her voice so the cameras would catch her tragic performance. "Arthur, please. I see the truth now. He held me hostage! He forced me to sign those divorce papers! I was terrified! But we are still legally married in the eyes of the state until the ninety-day cooling period ends!"

She placed a hand over her heart, playing the victim card with sickening precision.

"You are my husband! Half of Vance Corp belongs to our union! We can fix this!"

Arthur looked down at the woman he had once bled for. She was trying to weaponize the law against him in front of the world.

He didn't yell. He simply reached inside his suit jacket.