Chapter 460
Chapter 460:
The voice modulator distorted her words instantly. Through the speakers, “Morgan Stone” spoke with a baritone depth that commanded authority. It was cold, detached, the voice of a man who viewed human suffering as a line item on a spreadsheet.
On the other end of the line, there was a pause. Skye could hear the faint, ragged sound of breathing. Dominic was hyperventilating.
“Mr. Stone,” Dominic’s voice came through, trying to sound confident but cracking at the edges. “Thank you for taking the call on such short notice. My associates speak highly of your… discretion p>
“I am a busy man, Mr. Thorne,” Skye cut him off. “Let us skip the pleasantries. You need capital. Your stock is in freefall. The banks have shut their doors. You are bleeding out p>
Dominic sputtered. “It is a temporary cash-flow issue. The market is reacting irrationally to some… fake news. Once the Kensington merger is finalized tomorrow, our valuation will triple p>
Skye leaned back in her chair, twirling a pen between her fingers.
“I do not bet on ‘ifs,’ Mr. Thorne,” the synthesized voice growled. “I bet on collateral. You want ten billion dollars. Liquid. Today p>
“Yes,” Dominic said quickly. Too quickly. “Ten billion. I can offer a fifteen percent interest rate. Repayment in six months p>
“Twenty percent,” Skye countered. “And I don’t want your promises. I want your assets p>
“Twenty percent is robbery!” Dominic protested.
“Then hang up,” Skye said. “Go back to Chase. Oh, wait. You can’t p>
Silence stretched over the line, heavy with Dominic’s humiliation. Skye watched the waveform flatten as he held his breath.
“Fine,” Dominic whispered. “Twenty percent p>
“And the collateral,” Skye pressed. “I am sending over the digital contract now. It is standard for high-risk bridge loans. All Thorne Corp intellectual property, real estate holdings, and voting shares are pledged against the loan p>
She hit the “Send” key.
Across the city, in his wrecked office, Dominic’s tablet pinged. He picked it up, swiping through the document with trembling fingers.
The legalese was dense. Paragraph after paragraph of clauses, sub-clauses, and financial jargon.
Dominic’s eyes scanned the pages. He saw the interest rate. He saw the repayment schedule.
S𝘁𝗈𝘳іe𝗌 th𝘢𝘁 𝗐𝘪𝗹𝗅 𝗵о𝘰𝗄 𝘆𝗼𝘶 𝗼𝘯 𝗯𝗲𝘭ո𝘰𝗏𝗲𝘭ѕ.𝖼о𝗺
Then he saw the “Collateral Forfeiture” clause.
In the event of a single missed payment, or if the borrower’s stock price falls below a predetermined threshold ($15.00 per share), the lender reserves the right to call the loan in full immediately. Failure to pay within 24 hours results in the immediate transfer of all pledged collateral to Stone Capital.
Dominic froze. His pen hovered over the screen.
Fifteen dollars a share. The stock was currently trading at eighteen. It was close. Too close.
“Mr. Stone,” Dominic said, sweat dripping down his temple. “This forfeiture clause… it’s aggressive. If the market dips even slightly p>
“The market rewards strength, Mr. Thorne,” Skye’s voice boomed through the speaker. “If you are confident in your merger, the stock will go up, not down. Unless, of course, you don’t believe in your own company p>
It was a taunt. A direct challenge to his ego.
Before Dominic could object further, the door to his office burst open. Wayne rushed in, looking frantic.
“Sir!” Wayne gasped, holding up his phone. “The shareholders. They are calling for an emergency vote of no confidence. They want to remove you as CEO before the gala p>
Dominic’s face turned purple. “They can’t do that p>
“They can if the stock drops another point,” Wayne said. “We need to announce a capital injection now. Within the hour p>