Then my father turned to the remaining executives of the Vance company.

Effective immediately, Sterling Capital called in its defaulted loans, froze all discretionary accounts, and removed Dominic and Eleanor from management.

The legitimate employees kept their jobs under a new administrator, but the family’s luxury cars, country club memberships, and company-funded mansion were liquidated to cover the enormous losses.

Dominic chased me into the grand hotel lobby while photographers crowded behind the velvet ropes.

“You can’t ruin my whole family over one mistake, Vivienne!”

I turned to face him one last time.