From Betrayal to Billions

The Montgomery penthouse smelled of wilted roses and dried flowers. Stella Whitman stood beside the tall windows, her reflection, flawless under the full moon.

"you are postponing?" Her voice icy and dripping with disapproval. "Our wedding is in three weeks, Ethan. The invitations have all been sent. The cathedral is booked. The—"

Ethan's gold wrist watch caught the light as he raised his hands like a surgeon's gesture begging for patience. "With Parkinson controlling forty two percent of our shares…Stella, darling, be reasonable."

"I am not your darling." She turned slowly, her Valentino gown glittering on the shiny marble. "Do you know what they are calling you at the club? The Jilted Groom. Because only a man who enjoys humiliation would let some orphan in a borrowed suit dictate his life."

Charles Montgomery chose that moment to enter, his gold plated walking cane tapping like a countdown counting down Ethan's shame. "The boy's right, Stella. This is not personal. That damned CEO owns forty two percent of Montgomery Medical now. If we proceed with the wedding while he is squeezing us—"

Stella's laugh was as icy as the coldest city. "Oh I see. You are not postponing. You are waiting to see if you will still be rich enough to marry me." She rearranged her fur coat.

Morana came through the entrance, her Prada gown whispering with the wind. "Darling, perhaps if we—"

Stella whirled on her mother. "Don't. This is what happens when you bargain with new money." Her gaze raked over Ethan's Versace suit. "Even when it screams bespoke."

Ethan caught her wrist and snarled, "You are being unreasonable—"

For the first time in six years, Stella Whitman looked at her fiancé with contempt. "You are a disappointment, Ethan."

Ethan's jaw tightened. For the first time in their years of courtship, Stella's eyes held no heat—only glacial contempt.

Montgomery Medical's headquarters buzzed like a dying fly. Ethan paced before the mahogany conference table where his father sat slumped over financial reports.

"We are hemorrhaging surgeons," Charles muttered. "Mount Sinai just canceled their residency program over our 'ethical concerns." He flung the document aside. "That bastard is turning the entire medical community against us!"

He slammed a fist onto the conference table.

"Do you know what happens when we lose Beth Israel? When Mayo Clinic drop us?"

"No seriously," Finn Withman shook his head. "What is happening?"

"Yeah, why are you people been targeted?" Elliot Whitman asked.

"You think we are?" Ethan asked. Fist clenched. "I just feel maybe we are just unlucky this period."

"Who will dare attack us?" Charles snarled. "Who will be stupid to go after a Montgomery?"

"Parkinson. I suppose." Finn shrugged. "What about the contract you had signed with them? What is the way forward?"

"After we had signed that ridiculous agreement, we were informed by Mr Reynolds, the CEO personal assistant the we will be answered to…it's been four days now, and no reply." Ethan replied wearily.

"I don't like this one bit." Elliot countered. "I have a bad feeling about all of this. Can we pull out?"

"And be a laughing stock in the Buisness world?" Charles scoffed. "I don't think so."

His assistant, Gregory, burst in without knocking, clutching a tablet. "Sir—the board—they are demanding…" He gasped for air. "Parkinson just bought controlling stakes in Mass General station and Luxembourg pedestrian….and the banks are calling in the Whitman credit lines. Without the marriage alliance—"

A notification flashed on Ethan's phone—a Luxembourg news alert…

PARKINSON GROUP SECURES CONTROLLING STAKE IN MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN

The blood drained from Charles's face. "Those are our most important partners."

Ethan's knees hit the carpet. The numbers flashed before him—without those hospitals, Montgomery Medical became a shell company. A joke.

Gregory swallowed hard. "There is more. The CEO…he has requested all our clinical trail data from 2018 onward. The original files."

Charles's fist shattered the huge projector screen. "That is it. I want eyes on this Parkinson heir. I want his schedule, his mistresses, his childhood pet's name." He seized Ethan's tie forcefully. "You will unmask him, or I swear to God, you will scrubbing in at free government clinics by Christmas!"

Gregory's voice cracked. "The man is a ghost. No property under his name. No credit cards. The board only meets him through a videoconference and it encrypted—"

"Enough!" Ethan bellowed. "What about the woman? The secretary? Who is she?"

Gregory swallowed hard and muttered, "The secretary—Mila Santos. She is Stella Withman's—"

"No." Elliot's shook his head. "After today. Stella would rather burn Luxembourg than to help me."

"Are you sure about that?" Finn asked. "You heard her, she wants her wedding and she was expressively clear about that earlier."

"So what's your point?"

"I feel she will want to assist you, even if it's grudgingly…all she wants is her wedding." Elliot nodded.

"You mean I should write Stella to help me with intel about her Best friend…after postponing her wedding?" Ethan shook his head in disbelief. "I don't have a death wish please."

His father's gold plated cane cracked against the paneling. "Then seduce the damn secretary! Take her to dinner, to bed, to hell if you must…just get me that CEO's name!"

"Beth Israel's CEO just resigned." Gregory panted, shoving a tablet at Charles. "Parkinson Group installed their own man…some pediatric surgeon from Cleveland."

"What!" Charles bellowed. Holding his chest tightly. "Somebody give me answers now! What is happening?!"

A new alert blared across the screens…

ATTENTION ALL STAFF! PARKINSON GROUP INITIATING HOSTILE TAKEOVER BID —58% PREMIUM

Ethan's stomach dropped as he said breathlessly, "that price was impossibly…Unless the CEO already knew about the secret Swiss accounts."

Gregory whispered, "He is not just buying us out…he is erasing us."