Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Execution
By Tuesday morning, forty-eight hours after I walked out of the Vance estate, the quiet war had expanded from a private dining room into the highest financial circles of Manila.
At 9:00 AM, I walked into the glass-and-steel headquarters of Reyes Engineering & Infrastructure in Ortigas.
I was no longer wearing the soft, pastel sundress I had worn on the morning of my ruined marriage. I wore a tailored midnight-blue suit, a crisp white silk blouse, and five-inch leather pumps. My dark hair was pulled back into a severe, elegant bun.
My father stood at the head of the mahogany conference table, surrounded by his senior partners, chief financial officers, and Sarah Lin.
"Sofia," my father said, walking over to wrap his large, calloused hands around mine. "Did you sleep well?"
"I slept like a baby, Dad," I smiled.
"Good," my father nodded, gesturing to the seat at his right hand—the seat reserved for the Vice President of Strategic Capital. "Because today, Vance Development Corp’s five-million-dollar commercial loan matures with BPI. And they are sixty percent short on their debt service coverage."
Sarah opened a thick leather binder on the table, sliding a set of financial charts across to me.
"For three years," Sarah explained, "Eduardo Vance has been using short-term bridge loans from private equity groups to cover the construction costs of their flagship project—the Vance Tower in Salcedo Village. They were counting on your father’s engineering firm to sign a joint-venture agreement this week, which would have allowed them to secure a twenty-million-dollar government-backed credit facility."
"And without my father's signature?" I asked.
"Without your father's signature," Sarah grinned coldly, "Vance Development is legally insolvent. Their contractors haven't been paid since last month. The structural steel suppliers in Subic have placed a lien on their construction site. And their lead architect just resigned."
My phone hummed on the table.
It was a text message from an unknown number. I clicked it open.
Sofia, please. This has gone too far. My mother is having chest pains. My father is threatening to strip my partnership from the firm. Meet me at the Manila Club at noon. Just talk to me. — Julian
I looked at the message, felt absolutely nothing, and passed the phone to Sarah.
"Reply?" Sarah asked.
"Tell him I'll meet him," I replied smoothly, leaning back in my chair. "But not at the Manila Club. Tell him to meet us in the main conference room of BPI's corporate headquarters at two o'clock."
At 1:55 PM, Sarah and I stepped out of the elevator on the twentieth floor of the Bank of the Philippine Islands building in Makati.
The corporate waiting area was quiet, smelling of leather, floor wax, and panic. Sitting on the leather sofa near the glass entrance were Julian and his father, Eduardo Vance.
Julian looked haggard. His eyes were bloodshot, his tie was crooked, and he looked as though he hadn't slept or shaved in two days. Eduardo sat beside him, clutching a leather briefcase, his knuckles pale.
When I stepped into the foyer, Julian jumped up instantly, taking two fast steps toward me. "Sofia! Thank God—"
Sarah Lin stepped smoothly between us, raising a single, gloved hand. "Keep your distance, Mr. Vance. The temporary restraining order is currently active. Five feet."
Julian stopped, his eyes darting frantically from Sarah to me. "Sofia, please! Look at me! This is crazy! We've been married for two days! Whatever my mother said... whatever happened with the dishes... we can fix it! You don't have to ruin my father's company over a domestic argument!"
I looked at Julian—at the man who, forty-eight hours ago, had stood by while a greasy dishcloth was thrown in my face, telling me I needed to learn my place as his family's maid.
"It wasn't a domestic argument, Julian," I said, my voice smooth, cool, and completely devoid of emotion. "It was a business demonstration. You showed me what my value was in your home. I'm just showing you what my value is in your bank."
The double doors of the main boardroom opened.
A tall, silver-haired man in a bespoke suit stepped out. It was Mr. Arthur Co, the Senior Executive Vice President of BPI Commercial Credit.
"Mrs. Vance—excuse me, Miss Reyes," Mr. Co corrected himself respectfully, offering me a warm hand shake. "Your father told me you’d be handling the capital allocation review today. Please, come in."
Eduardo Vance stumbled forward, his hands trembling as he reached for Mr. Co’s sleeve. "Arthur! Please! We need a thirty-day extension on the Salcedo project loan! The collateral paperwork is being finalized—"
Mr. Co looked at Eduardo with cold, professional pity.
"The collateral paperwork depended on a corporate guarantee from Reyes Engineering, Eduardo," Mr. Co stated flatly. "And Miss Reyes has just instructed our trust department to terminate all credit umbrella guarantees associated with Vance Development Corp."
Eduardo’s knees actually buckled. He grabbed the edge of the reception desk to keep from falling onto the marble floor.
May you like
Julian stared at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish on dry land. "Sofia... you... you're destroying us..."
"No, Julian," I murmured, leaning in slightly so only he could hear the quiet, absolute finality of my words. "I'm just stepping out of your way. Like you told me to do in your kitchen."
