บททั้งหมดของ I Built His Empire & Destroyed it Later: Rebirth of "V" Vane: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 27

The crystal chandeliers of the Grand Imperial Ballroom hummed with the collective whispers of the city's financial empire. Hundreds of high society elites, hedge fund managers, and real estate magnates occupied the velvet lined rows, their eyes fixed on the massive digital projection screen displaying the asset profile of Vane Plaza, the iconic eighty story skyscraper that had served as the crown jewel of Vivienne's grandfather's maritime empire.Keep your head up, Cynthia, Julian Vance hissed, his voice raw with a desperate, defensive aggression as they walked down the central aisle. His right hand, thick with layers of stark white surgical plaster, was pinned rigidly across his chest inside a custom silk sling. Sweat beaded along his hairline despite the ballroom's aggressive air conditioning. Stop looking at the crowd as if we are already bankrupt.How can I not look at them, Julian? Cynthia whispered frantically, her fingers digging so violently into the leather of her designer cl

The heavy fire doors of the service corridor slammed shut, but the echoing sound of Julian Vance's frantic footsteps did not slow down. The damp, chilly air of the Grand Imperial Ballroom's underground parking structure hit his face, smelling faintly of concrete dust and high octane exhaust.Vivienne! Stop right there! Julian roared, his voice bouncing violently off the low concrete ceiling. His breathing was a ragged, whistling gasp as he ran down the primary parking ramp, his left hand desperately anchoring his plastered right arm against his chest. You do not get to walk away after what you just did in that ballroom! Turn around and look at me!Vivienne Vane did not accelerate her stride. She kept moving toward the illuminated bay where the sleek, dark silhouette of a multi million dollar hypercar sat waiting, its daytime running lights cutting through the shadows like twin lasers. Her obsidian silk trousers moved with a crisp, authoritative rustle.I am speaking to you, Vivienne!

Unchain that door this instant! Cynthia Vance's voice shrieked through the vaulted marble corridors of the Vane Plaza luxury boutique wing. Her heels slammed against the polished stone as she sprinted toward the glass storefront of her flagship luxury clothing line. Get your hands off those racks! Are you completely out of your minds?A burly mover in grease stained canvas overalls did not even look up as he dragged a rolling rack of bespoke velvet evening gowns out into the center of the hallway. With a brutal, careless heave, he tipped the entire rack sideways, dumping thousands of dollars of custom inventory directly into a massive, grey industrial trash bin.Stop it! Stop it right now! Cynthia screamed, lunging forward and grabbing the mover's thick forearm with both of her manicured hands. Her emerald rings scraped against his skin. Do you have any idea how much that silk costs? That is the autumn collection! That single bin is worth more than your entire miserable life savings!

Did the transponders clear the northern ridge, Harris? Answer me! Julian Vance shouted, his voice echoing off the glass walls of his makeshift logistics office. He slammed his uninjured left hand onto the desk, rattling a stack of printouts. His right arm, encased in heavy white surgical plaster, throbbed with a burning, rhythmic agony inside its silk sling.Yes, Mr. Vance! The Vance Monarch, the Vance Sovereign, and the Vance Titan have all completely bypassed the southern straits, Harris, the chief logistics director, yelled back as he slammed his hands onto his keyboard. We went completely dark on the main maritime grid. We are entirely outside of Damian Thorne's primary shipping territory!Ha! I knew it! Julian let out a ragged, frantic laugh, his eyes wide and bloodshot as he stared at the tracking monitor. The brilliant Vivienne Vane thinks she has me cornered because she bought a skyscraper? She thinks because she locked my bank accounts I am just going to lie down and die? I b