Chad: I am Chad Sterling! My father is the CEO of Sterling Enterprises!
SWAT Officer: I don't care if you're the Governor of Texas! On the floor! NOW!
Two tactical officers tackled Chad to the red carpet, forcing his arms behind his back[cite: 1]. The metallic click of handcuffs echoed through the high-ceilinged room as Chad yelled in pain and humiliation[cite: 1].
Chad: Get off me! Clara, tell them to stop! You're making a huge mistake!
Chloe: Please don't shoot! I didn't do anything! I was just sitting here!
SWAT Officer: Ma'am, stay on that sofa and do not move a muscle!
Chloe pulled her knees to her chest, sobbing hysterically as armed men secured the perimeter of the room[cite: 1]. Clara stood in the center of the red carpet, completely unbothered by the chaos around her[cite: 1]. She slowly turned toward the entrance as heavy, measured footsteps approached from the foyer[cite: 1].
An older man in a bespoke black suit walked into the lounge, flanked by four personal security guards[cite: 1]. His hair was silver, his eyes cold as ice, and his presence immediately commanded the entire room[cite: 1].
Clara: You made good time, Dad.
Alexander: Nobody hurts my daughter and lives to enjoy their wealth, Clara.
Chad: Wait... Alexander Vance?! You're Alexander Vance?!
Chad's eyes widened in absolute horror as he looked up from the floor at the richest energy tycoon in the entire United States[cite: 1].
Chad: Mr. Vance... please! I didn't know she was your daughter! I swear I didn't know!
Alexander: So you only torture women who don't have powerful fathers to protect them?
Chad: No! It was a game! We were just fooling around! Clara, tell him!
Clara: He hit me two hundred times with a leather belt, Dad[cite: 1]. He said I was a nobody who needed to learn her place[cite: 1].
Alexander's face hardened into a mask of pure fury[cite: 1]. He walked slowly over to the leather belt lying on the marble floor, picked it up, and looked at the dark bloodstains on the leather[cite: 1].
Alexander: Your father came to my office yesterday, Chad. He begged me for a fifty-million-dollar emergency loan to save Sterling Enterprises from total bankruptcy.
Chad: What...? No... my father said business was booming!
Alexander: Your father lied to you, just like you lied to yourself. And five minutes ago, after Clara's call, I cancelled the loan and shorted your family's stock.