Chapter 4 - The Black Amex Declines
Margaret finally lowered her phone, her chest heaving as terror set in. Her live stream was still running, but the camera was now pointing awkwardly at Richard’s shoes. Over three thousand people were leaving mocking comments, recording clips, and sharing the stream across social platforms. The humiliation she had carefully engineered for me had boomeranged directly into her son’s chest.
“This is absurd!” Margaret cried, her aristocratic facade completely dissolving. “I am his mother! My family gave Richard the seed capital to launch his firm! Claire had nothing to do with it! She grew up in this dusty, rotting cottage!”
Daniel opened his leather briefcase on the dining table, pushing Richard’s unsigned property transfer document aside as if it were worthless trash. He withdrew an ivory-colored folder tied with black ribbon and untied the knot with practiced precision.
“Mrs. Margaret Whitmore,” Daniel began, pulling out a certified bank statement from twelve years prior. “The initial seed capital of two million dollars did not come from your family’s dwindling estate. Your estate was bankrupt following your late husband’s failed real estate speculations in 2012. That money was an anonymous equity loan disbursed directly from Claire Montgomery’s personal trust fund.”
Margaret stumbled backward, her hand flying to her throat. “No... Richard told me he won an angel investment competition!”
“Richard told you what protected his fragile ego,” I said, walking slowly around the table toward where Vanessa stood frozen. “You lived off my money for over a decade, Margaret. The designer dresses, the country club memberships, the cosmetic surgeries—every single luxury you flaunted while looking down your nose at my family was funded by the profits of my holding company.”
Vanessa’s voice broke into a high, hysterical whimper. She grabbed Richard’s arm, shaking him violently. “Richard! Tell them they’re wrong! My apartment lease is due tomorrow! The rent is twelve thousand dollars! Pay them! Use the black card!”
Richard looked like a drowned rat. The manicured, polished executive had vanished, leaving behind a hollow shell trembling in an expensive suit. With shaking fingers, he reached into his leather wallet, pulled out his matte-black American Express Centurion card, and slammed it onto the table in front of Daniel.
“I have an unlimited personal line on this card!” Richard shouted, spittle flying from his lips. “I can buy this entire property ten times over! Run the card! Call the concierge service! I have five million dollars in liquid credit right here!”
Daniel didn't even pick up the card. He simply touched an app on his iPad and tilted the screen toward Richard.
“The Centurion card was issued under the primary corporate account of Montgomery Logistics,” Daniel stated flatly. “When Mrs. Montgomery suspended your corporate credentials, all secondary and tertiary cards were deactivated automatically. Would you like me to demonstrate?”
Daniel pulled a portable card reader from his jacket pocket, took the black card, and swiped it through the terminal.
The screen beeped sharply twice.
A bright red banner flashed across the tiny screen: DECLINED — ACCOUNT CLOSED BY ISSUER.
Vanessa let out a shriek. She ripped her hands away from Richard as if his skin had caught fire. “You lied to me! You told me you owned the whole city! You promised me a penthouse on Park Avenue! You bought me fake jewelry!”
“The jewelry isn't fake, Vanessa,” I interrupted, pointing toward the diamond necklace resting on her collarbone. “It’s very real. And it was purchased using misappropriated corporate funds. Which means that necklace, along with the sports car Richard leased for you last Friday, is currently classified as stolen company property.”
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Vanessa gasped, her hands flying up to unhook the clasp of the necklace. “I didn't steal anything! He gave it to me! He told me it was a gift!”
“Ignorance is not a legal defense against receiving embezzled assets,” Daniel added smoothly, pulling out a legal notice of repossession. “A courier is waiting outside your Manhattan apartment right now to change the locks. You have until five o'clock this evening to collect your personal clothing. Everything purchased with company funds will be seized by court-appointed receivers.”
