Chapter 2: The Deal That Never Belonged to Daniel
Silence settled over the ballroom like a storm moments before lightning struck.
Daniel stared at the elderly butler, waiting for him to laugh.
To explain.
To admit it was some ridiculous bluff.
Instead, the old man reached calmly into the inside pocket of his jacket and removed his phone.
Without another word, he dialed a single number.
"Mr. Harrison," he said respectfully. "Miss Emily has canceled the acquisition."
Every executive in the front row stopped breathing.
Daniel frowned.
"What acquisition?"
No one answered him.
The butler ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"It has been done."
Daniel grabbed Emily's arm.
"What game are you playing?"
Emily slowly stood, brushing the dust from her torn wedding gown.
Her voice never rose.
"My father agreed to purchase your family's debt six months ago."
Daniel blinked.
"Our debt?"
Emily looked around the ballroom.
"Your company has been bankrupt for almost a year."
A wave of murmurs swept through the guests.
Vanessa's confident smile vanished.
Daniel's mother laughed nervously.
"Don't listen to her."
But before anyone could respond, every guest's phone vibrated at exactly the same moment.
One notification.
One headline.
HARRISON CAPITAL WITHDRAWS $480 MILLION RESCUE AGREEMENT WITH WINTHROP HOLDINGS.
Daniel snatched his own phone.
His hands began to shake.
"No..."
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His family's company stock was already collapsing.
The wedding they had staged as a celebration had become the exact moment their empire started to fall.
