Chapter 5 - The Politician's Fall
Senator Richard Vance was a man who prided himself on his spotless reputation. He was currently preparing for a major reelection campaign, backed by the wealthiest donors in California.
At 7:00 AM the next morning, the Senator was sitting in his plush office when his personal phone rang. It was an unknown number.
“Vance,” he answered sharply.
“Senator,” a cold, young voice said. “This is Ethan Cole.”
The Senator’s tone immediately softened. Ethan was one of his biggest financial backers. “Ethan! My boy! How are you? Victoria was just telling me how well the L.A. market is doing—”
“Your daughter is a monster, Richard,” Ethan interrupted, his voice devoid of any emotion.
The Senator froze. “Excuse me? What kind of joke is this?”
“No joke. Yesterday, I came home and found your daughter starving my mother, physically abusing her, and keeping her in the backyard dog run. I have six months of high-definition video evidence of the abuse. I also have Dr. Cho’s forensic medical report.”
“Ethan, let’s not be rash,” the Senator said, his voice suddenly trembling. “Victoria can be... high-spirited, but surely we can handle this privately. Think of the scandal! My campaign—”
“Your campaign is over, Richard,” Ethan said. “And so is your career.”
“You can’t ruin me, Ethan! I have resources! I have allies!” the Senator roared.
“You had allies because you had my money,” Ethan said. “As of five minutes ago, my hedge fund pulled all financial support from your campaign. I have also initiated a short-sale attack on every single corporation that funds your super PAC. By noon, your donors will be too busy saving their own skins to care about your political future.”
“Ethan, please—”
“And one more thing,” Ethan said. “I’m sending the abuse footage to the local news stations and the federal authorities in exactly ten minutes. Enjoy your retirement in a prison cell, Senator.”
Ethan hung up the phone.
He turned to Marcus, who was standing beside him. “Is the press release ready?”
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“Yes, sir,” Marcus said. “The media is already circling the mansion. The police have also been notified. Detective Harris from the Special Victims Unit is on his way.”
“Good,” Ethan said. “Let’s go see my wife.”
