Chapter 5 - The Trap is Set
Sterling Investments was bleeding.
Preston, now the CEO, was arrogant and careless. He had over-leveraged the firm on risky real estate developments, trusting the algorithm to cover his losses. But lately, the algorithm was failing. (Julian, of course, was remotely feeding it bad data).
Desperate for a bailout, Preston began looking for angel investors. He found Vanguard Holdings.
Julian, communicating only through high-paid lawyers and encrypted emails, offered Preston a lifeline: a massive injection of capital to save Sterling Investments. But there was a catch. Vanguard Holdings required collateral. Preston had to put up the majority shares of his family's firm, their private estates, and personal assets as a guarantee.
Arthur Sterling, Preston’s father, warned against it. "We don't even know who owns Vanguard," he barked in their boardroom.
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"They have capital, Dad! We need it by Friday or the SEC audits us!" Preston yelled back.
Blinded by panic and ego, Preston signed the contracts. He handed over the keys to his kingdom to a faceless ghost, believing he could buy his way out of trouble like he always did.
