Chapter 7 - The Downfall of Vance Medical
Over the next forty-eight hours, I unleashed hell on Wall Street.
I didn't care about preserving my fortune; my only goal was scorched earth against the people who had danced on my family's grave. I called an emergency press conference at the New York Stock Exchange. With the national financial media watching, I exposed Julian Miller's illegal corporate espionage, providing time-stamped surveillance footage, intercepted communications between Elena Courtland and his shell companies, and the full paper trail of their conspiracy to manipulate Vance Medical's stock during my personal tragedy.
By Friday afternoon, federal regulators had launched an investigation into Miller’s investment syndicate. Elena's father publicly disowned her involvement and removed her from the family trust to salvage his firm's reputation. Julian Miller was intercepted by FBI agents at JFK Airport attempting to board a flight to Dubai.
When the dust settled, Vance Medical Innovations stood intact, its stock rebounding fiercely on the news that the hostile takeover had been crushed. But I was done.
On Monday morning, I signed two sets of documents in my attorney's office. The first transferred eighty percent of my personal wealth into an independent foundation: The Leo Vance Memorial Neonatal Care Center, dedicated to providing free, world-class emergency maternal care to underprivileged women across the tri-state area.
The second document was the unconditional surrender Meline had left on our son's grave: the divorce decree. I signed my name at the bottom of every page, tears smudging the black ink.
""Should I send these to Mrs. Vance's attorney?"" my lawyer asked quietly, gathering the papers.
""No,"" I replied, staring at my bare left ring finger. ""I don't want her to ever receive a cold piece of mail from a law firm again. I will keep them. And when she is ready—if she is ever ready—I will hand them to her myself.""
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""And what will you do now, Mr. Vance? The board wants you to stay on as CEO.""
""I resigned an hour ago,"" I said, standing up and buttoning my coat. ""Damen Vance the billionaire died the night my son did. Now I have to figure out if there's any man left underneath.""
