My Domination Begins With A Divorce

9

"The Ethan problem is permanently resolved."

Aiden smiled across the table and raised his glass of expensive red wine. He sat with Sarah in the private dining room of Le Cerf. The exclusive restaurant catered only to the wealthiest politicians and corporate tycoons in the city. The lunch bill for their truffles and imported wine already exceeded ten thousand dollars.

Sarah took a nervous sip of her water. The memory of Richard White tearing the contract in front of Ethan still haunted her.

"Did you talk to him?" Sarah asked. She set her glass down and leaned forward. "Did you find out where he got that money?"

"I did not need to talk to him," Aiden replied. He waved his hand to dismiss her concern. "I sent some specialized associates to have a conversation with him. They are very good at convincing people to hand over their bank passwords."

Sarah paled slightly. She knew Aiden employed violent men to handle his business rivals.

"You did not kill him," Sarah whispered.

"Of course not," Aiden laughed. "Dead men cannot sign transfer forms. My associates are simply draining whatever stolen charity funds he found. By tomorrow morning, Ethan will be begging for loose change on a street corner again and your family will absorb his lost cash."

Aiden pulled out a sleek black credit card and tapped it against the white tablecloth to emphasize his wealth.

"This is how real power works," Aiden boasted. "I do not wear rented suits or play games in a boardroom. I own the shadows of this city."

His mobile phone began to ring loudly and shattered the quiet atmosphere of the private room.

Aiden frowned at the interruption. He looked at the caller identification and saw his father's name flashing on the screen. He answered the call and placed the phone to his ear with an annoyed sigh.

"I am in the middle of lunch," Aiden said. "Make it quick."

"We are ruined!" Richard Taylor screamed through the speaker. The sheer terror in his voice caused Aiden to sit straight up in his chair. "Our entire fleet is gone!"

Aiden gripped the edge of the table. "Calm down and tell me what happened."

"A shell company initiated a hostile takeover an hour ago," Richard sobbed. "They bought out our majority shareholders with billions of dollars in cash. They seized our shipping containers at the harbor and locked our factories down. Our company stock plummeted to zero and the banks are calling in all our loans."

"That is impossible," Aiden said. His heart began to pound against his ribs. "We are the largest corporation in the state. No one has enough liquid capital to buy us out in an hour."

"They did it!" Richard cried. "The government regulators signed off on the transfer immediately. They own everything. We are bankrupt, Aiden. We are homeless."

The call disconnected with a sharp click.

Aiden stared at his phone. The blood drained from his face and his hands began to shake uncontrollably. His entire empire had been wiped from existence while he was eating a salad.

"Aiden?" Sarah asked. She reached across the table and touched his arm. "What is wrong? You look pale."

"It is nothing," Aiden lied quickly. He forced a strained smile onto his face and shoved the phone into his jacket pocket. "Just a minor logistical issue at the harbor. My father always overreacts."

He needed to get out of the restaurant and call his lawyers. He raised his hand and signaled for the waiter to bring the bill.

The restaurant manager approached the table holding a leather folder. He placed the folder in front of Aiden with a polite nod.

"The total is twelve thousand dollars," the manager stated quietly.

Aiden slid his prestigious black credit card into the leather folder without looking at the bill. "Process it quickly. We are in a hurry."

The manager took the folder and walked back to the front desk. Aiden stood up and adjusted his suit jacket while Sarah gathered her purse.

The manager returned two minutes later. He looked uncomfortable and held the black card pinched between his fingers.

"I apologize, Mr. Taylor ," the manager said. He placed the card back on the table. "Your card was declined by the banking institution."

Aiden frowned. "That card has no spending limit. Run it again."

"I ran it three times, sir," the manager replied. His tone grew slightly colder. "The terminal stated your accounts have been frozen."

"That is ridiculous," Aiden snapped. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a gold corporate card. He threw it onto the table. "Use the business account."

The manager took the gold card and returned to his register. He swiped the plastic through the machine and waited for the approval tone.

The machine beeped twice and printed a rejection slip.

The manager walked back to the private dining room. The polite smile was completely gone from his face.

"The business card is also declined," the manager announced. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I contacted the bank directly. They informed me that every account associated with your name and your corporate entity has been seized by a federal order."

Sarah stared at Aiden with wide eyes. "Aiden, what is happening? Why are your accounts frozen?"

"There is a mistake in the banking system!" Aiden shouted. He pulled two more credit cards from his wallet and slammed them onto the table. "I am the heir to the Taylor empire. Try these!"

The manager did not even touch the cards. He pointed a stern finger at Aiden.

"You owe this establishment twelve thousand dollars," the manager said. "If you do not produce a valid form of payment right now, I am calling the police and pressing charges for theft of services."

Aiden felt the walls of the room closing in on him. He had no cash. His empire was gone. He looked at Sarah with desperate eyes.

"Sarah, pay the bill," Aiden pleaded. "I will reimburse you tomorrow when I clear up this banking error."

Sarah clutched her purse tightly against her chest and took a step back.

"My mother froze all my credit lines this morning," Sarah whispered. Her voice trembled with fear. "Our company stock crashed after Ethan ruined the Apex deal. We do not have twelve thousand dollars."

Aiden felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead. He looked at the restaurant manager who was already dialing the police on his mobile phone.

The wooden door of the private dining room opened slowly.

Ethan walked into the room wearing his dark bespoke suit. He looked perfectly calm as he surveyed the panic unfolding around the table.

"Is there a problem here?" Ethan asked.

Sarah gasped and took another step back. Aiden stared at his rival with pure hatred burning in his eyes.

"You," Aiden growled. He lunged forward but stopped when he saw the two massive security guards standing just outside the door. "You caused the bank error."

"There is no error," Ethan stated. He walked over to the table and picked up Aiden's useless black card. He inspected the plastic and then tossed it into an empty wine glass. "Your family is bankrupt. I seized your supply lines and bought your debt. You are a beggar now."

"You belong in the gutter!" Aiden screamed. The arrogant facade finally cracked and revealed a terrified man. "I will kill you for this!"

Ethan ignored the threat. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a thick stack of crisp hundred dollar bills. He tossed the money onto the white tablecloth. The heavy bundle landed right next to the unpaid bill.

The manager paused his phone call and stared at the cash.

Ethan looked at Aiden and smiled. It was a cold and unforgiving expression that promised absolute ruin.

"The money is yours to pay the bill," Ethan said. His voice was soft and deadly. "But you have to earn it. Get down on all fours. Bark like a dog. Then crawl through my legs and pick it up."