Chapter 3 - COUNTER-OFFENSIVE
By 8:00 AM the following morning, news of the incident at the Cross estate had leaked to the financial press, though in a twisted form.
Tabloid headlines read: Billionaire Nathaniel Cross Ejects Socialite Fiance-to-be Over Household Dispute.
Vanessa’s father, Richard Hale, was leveraging the scandal to paint Nathaniel as unstable, hoping to force Cross Meridian into renewing their lucrative shipping agreements.
Inside the glass penthouse boardroom of Cross Meridian Tower in Wall Street, Nathaniel sat at the head of a long mahogany table. Surrounding him were sixteen senior vice presidents, corporate attorneys, and crisis PR managers.
“Mr. Cross,” the head of PR urged, pushing a tablet across the table. “If Richard Hale succeeds in convincing the harbor board to pause our docking permits, our quarterly supply chain will drop by twelve percent. We need to settle with the Hale family. A public joint statement, perhaps an apology from the staff involved—”
Nathaniel slammed his hand on the table. The sound echoed like a gunshot, instantly silencing the room.
“There will be no apology,” Nathaniel said, his eyes scanning the terrified executives. “And we will not settle. Who owns the majority debt on Hale Logistics’ fleet?”
The chief legal officer blinked. “A private equity firm in Delaware called Vanguard Apex.”
“And who controls sixty percent of Vanguard Apex’s investment board?” Nathaniel asked, leaning back in his leather chair.
The room went dead quiet as the legal officer checked his laptop. His eyes widened in shock. “You do. Your family trust acquired them three years ago.”
“Call in their debt,” Nathaniel commanded without a single beat of hesitation. “All seventy million dollars of it. Give Richard Hale until four o’clock today to pay in full, or seize his entire fleet of cargo ships.”
“Mr. Cross!” the PR head gasped. “That will completely bankrupt Hale Logistics!”
“Then Richard Hale should have taught his daughter how to speak to human beings,” Nathaniel replied coldly.
He stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. “And instruct our legal team to file a defamation lawsuit against Vanessa Hale for twenty million dollars regarding the false tabloid statements. I want her name ruined in every financial paper by noon.”
As Nathaniel strode out of the boardroom, his assistant caught up with him. “Sir, Mrs. Parker called from the estate. She said she’s packing her things.”
Nathaniel stopped in his tracks, his dark eyebrows pulling together. “What?”
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“She feels her presence is causing you corporate damage, sir. She said she’s taking Lily and leaving for white plains by noon.”
“Get my car,” Nathaniel snapped, turning toward the private executive elevator. “Now.”
