Mariana Hayes paced back and forth in her lavish penthouse, her mind reeling from the events of the past few days. The news of her impending financial ruin had hit her like a freight train. Once the queen of her marketing empire, she now faced the unthinkable: complete and utter destruction orchestrated by Alexander Sterling.
George Franklin, equally devastated, sat slumped in an armchair, nursing a drink. His usually cocky demeanor was replaced with a haunted look, the weight of their downfall pressing heavily on him.
Mariana stopped pacing and glared at George. "This is all your fault!" she snapped. "If you hadn't looked at Cindy Richards in that weird way, none of this would have happened."
George's eyes flashed with anger. "My fault? You're the one who threw a drink on her and started that whole mess! You reacted jealously and look where it got us."
