Chapter 2 - Echoes in the Penthouse
The sting of the concrete was nothing compared to the humiliation burning in Marcus’s chest as he was physically dragged out of the garage by his own security team. He practically sprinted the five blocks to the Vance Syndicate headquarters, bursting into his father’s penthouse office like a wild animal.
Richard Vance was a man made of sharp angles and cold calculation. He looked up from his mahogany desk, scowling at his son's disheveled appearance. "What is the meaning of this, Marcus? You look like you've been rolling in the gutter."
"A street rat just stole my car! The Lamborghini!" Marcus screamed, slamming his hands on the desk. "He hacked it! And he had the nerve to claim he was a Thorne!"
Richard’s blood ran cold. The pen in his hand snapped. "What did you just say?"
"He called himself Tobias Thorne," Marcus sneered, pacing the room. "I want him arrested. I want him ruined, Dad. Call the police chief right now."
Richard didn't pick up the phone. Instead, he sank back into his leather chair, the color draining from his face. "Tobias Thorne... The heir. He’s been in Europe for the last decade. He wasn't supposed to return until the new fiscal year."
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"I don't care if he's the King of England!" Marcus yelled.
"You fool," Richard whispered, his voice trembling. "We are over-leveraged by two billion dollars. Our primary creditor is Thorne Industries. If you just insulted the heir to the Thorne empire, you haven't just lost a car, Marcus. You may have just lost our entire legacy."
