Chapter 7 - Althia's Panic
Panic turned into absolute chaos inside the penthouse as the reality of Alden's departure and the impending legal storm settled over Althia and Stellin. Althia frantically dialed every high-society contact, attorney, and family friend she knew, only to find herself met with polite rejections or disconnected lines as word of the impending financial scandal began leaking through local gossip channels. Sutton had locked herself in the master bathroom, screaming and throwing crystal perfume bottles against the tiled walls while threatening to ruin everyone's lives if the wedding didn't happen as planned. Stellin paced the length of the living room, sweating profusely as he realized that the fraudulent charges tied to Fallon's corporate accounts were legally traceable directly to his own signature on the secondary resort authorizations. They had severely underestimated Fallon's resilience, assuming that her physical injuries and lifelong conditioning as the submissive sibling would prevent her from ever fighting back.
Desperate to salvage whatever dignity remained, Althia decided to take matters into her own hands and drove directly to the executive suite where Fallon was staying with Vesper's legal team. Pushing past the security guard at the door, Althia burst into the conference room with a manufactured look of maternal concern plastered across her face, expecting to manipulate Fallon into dropping the lawsuits with a few well-placed tears and guilt trips. ""Fallon, darling, please! You're destroying your own family over a silly family disagreement!"" Althia cried, rushing toward the wheelchair with her arms outstretched for an embrace. Fallon didn't move an inch. She simply raised her hand, signaling the armed private security guard stationed by the door to step between them and block Althia's path.
""Don't call me darling, Althia,"" Fallon said, her voice ice-cold and laced with absolute authority. ""You and Stellin drained eighty-five thousand dollars from my business account to fund a wedding built on my physical pain and public humiliation. You watched your youngest daughter push me down a flight of stairs and told me to get up because rich guests were watching. That isn't a family disagreement; that's financial fraud and criminal battery."" Althia stopped dead in her tracks, the fake tears instantly drying up as she stared into the eyes of the daughter she had suppressed for decades. ""If you don't drop these charges right now, we will ruin you professionally and socially!"" Althia hissed, reverting instantly to her true, toxic nature. Vesper stepped forward from the shadows of the room, holding a thick manila envelope and smiling sweetly. ""Mrs. Miller, I'd advise you to save your threats for the judge, because your formal arraignment for corporate embezzlement and conspiracy is scheduled for Monday morning,"" Vesper replied, handing her the official court summons before motioning security to escort her out of the building.
