Chapter 6
A Viral Video Unleashes Chaos Upon The World
By noon, the video of the Millard family Christmas dinner had surpassed ten million views. It was no longer just a family drama; it had mutated into a massive cultural spectacle. Financial news networks played the fifteen-second clip on a continuous loop, dissecting Ray Millard’s micro-expressions, analyzing the terrified drop of his jaw when he read the mysterious paper. Twitter and LinkedIn were ablaze with speculation. The hashtag #WhatsInTheEnvelope was trending globally. More devastatingly, the stock price of Millard Enterprises was in a catastrophic freefall, plunging eighteen percent in less than four hours as institutional investors panicked over rumors of severe executive instability.
Inside their downtown apartment, Carter paced the living room, his phone glued to his ear. Shelby sat on the sofa, her laptop balanced on her knees, rapidly monitoring the financial fallout.
“I did exactly what you wanted!” Dylan’s voice shouted through Carter’s phone, barely audible over the background noise of ringing phones and shouting voices on his end. “I dropped the bomb! Dad’s reputation is completely incinerated. The board is terrified of him. You’re welcome, Carter.”
“I explicitly told you not to release that video, Dylan,” Carter hissed, trying to keep his breathing measured. “You didn't do this to help me. You did it to crash the stock so Dad would be forced to step down immediately.”
“And it worked!” Dylan shot back defensively. “The board just called an emergency session for tomorrow morning. They’re talking about invoking the morality clause in his contract to suspend him. I’m the COO, Carter. If he goes down, they need someone to step up and stop the bleeding. They need me.”
“You are just as toxic to them right now,” Carter warned him. “You’re his son. In the middle of a massive fraud scandal, they aren't going to hand the keys to another Millard without full transparency.”
“Which is why you are going to publicly endorse me,” Dylan demanded. “You hold the stolen trust documents. You’re the victim here. If you tell the board that I had nothing to do with the embezzlement and that I support your claim, we can run this company together. We take it all, Carter.”
“I’ll see you at the board meeting,” Carter said coldly, abruptly ending the call. He tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter and rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache blooming behind his eyes.
Shelby looked up from her screen. “Dylan is playing a very dangerous game. If the SEC steps in to investigate the 1996 wire transfers, they won't just stop at Ray. They’ll audit the entire corporate structure. Dylan might get swept up in the criminal probe if he signed off on any recent financial disclosures.”
“Let him,” Carter said exhausted. He walked over to the sofa and sank down beside her. “I can't control Dylan’s greed. Right now, I just need to focus on Dad.”
“Speaking of your father,” Shelby said, her tone suddenly cautious. She turned her laptop screen toward Carter. It was a live feed from a local news chopper hovering over the Millard Enterprises corporate headquarters.
Down in the plaza, a massive black SUV had smashed directly through the security barricades, parking illegally on the pedestrian walkway. Ray Millard had emerged, ignoring the swarm of reporters shoving microphones into his face. He looked absolutely unhinged. His hair was wild, his tie undone, and his face purple with rage as he shoved a security guard aside and stormed through the glass revolving doors of his own building.
“He’s violating the injunction,” Carter said, sitting up straight. “Vance said he wasn't allowed on the premises while his voting rights were suspended.”
“He doesn't care about the law right now,” Shelby murmured, her eyes tracking the chaotic news footage. “He only cares about power. He’s going to the executive floor to destroy evidence. He knows you have the copies, but he needs to wipe the original servers before the federal investigators arrive.”
Carter’s phone buzzed aggressively on the counter. He walked over and checked the screen. It was an unknown number. He answered cautiously. “Hello?”
“Parking garage. Level C. Thirty minutes.” Ray’s voice was a low, raspy growl, completely devoid of its usual polished arrogance. “Come alone, Carter. Or I swear to God, I will ruin her.”
May you like
The line went dead.
Carter froze, his blood turning to ice. He looked over at Shelby, who was still watching the news feed, completely unaware of the threat hovering over her. Carter quietly slipped his phone into his pocket.
