The Thorne Heiress Unveiling Shadow novel Chapter 39

While Evelyn was contemplating Kaelen Blackwood's challenge, the Sutton family was trapped in a free-falling elevator with no emergency brake, and the ground was rushing up to meet them. The fallout from the Foundation Ball and the coding competition had been catastrophic. Their company stock had plummeted to junk status, their lines of credit had been frozen by every major bank in the city, and their social standing had been completely obliterated. They were radioactive. Former friends crossed the street to avoid them. Invitations to even minor charity events dried up completely.

In a last-ditch, desperate move to stop the bleeding, Richard Sutton decided to hold a press conference. He rented a small, generic conference room in a downtown hotel, a soulless, beige box with flickering fluorescent lights and a faint smell of stale coffee—a far cry from the opulent ballrooms he was used to. The handful of reporters who showed up were mostly junior bloggers and financial journalists who smelled a carcass and were hoping for a final, morbid quote.

Richard stood at a rickety podium, sweating under the harsh lights, his usually confident face looking gaunt and haunted. His expensive suit hung on him, a size too big, as if he had physically shrunken in the past few weeks. Caroline and Aria sat in the front row, their faces hidden behind oversized sunglasses, trying to project an image of a family united in the face of adversity. They only succeeded in looking like they were attending a funeral. Their own.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for coming," Richard began, his voice trembling slightly as he read from a prepared statement. "Despite recent... market fluctuations... the Sutton Development Group is stronger than ever. The rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated." His attempt at a joke fell flat, swallowed by the grim silence of the room. "Today, I am thrilled to announce a bold new venture: 'Sutton Future Homes,' a revolutionary project to build luxury, eco-friendly residences that will change the face of urban living."

He went on, his voice gaining a hollow, unconvincing bravado, spewing buzzwords like "synergy," "disruption," and "next-generation technology." He promised incredible returns to any potential investors, painting a picture of a glorious, profitable future that no one in the room believed.

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