Chapter 4 - The Boardroom Execution
By Friday morning, the corporate headquarters of Keswick Hospitality Group resembled a funeral parlor.
Wallace Keswick sat at the head of the polished boardroom table on the twentieth floor, staring blankly at a stack of default notices delivered by courier at 8:00 AM sharp. The phone beside him had rung continuously for two hours—creditors demanding immediate payment, franchise partners threatening lawsuits, and legal counsel advising total capitulation.
The heavy double doors swung open without a knock.
Julian Vance, senior legal counsel for Rowe Capital, walked into the room followed by two junior associates carrying thick black binders. Julian didn't bother sitting down. He tossed a single document onto the center of the table right in front of Wallace.
"What is this?" Wallace asked hoarsely, his hands shaking as he reached for the pages.
"Notice of immediate lease termination and asset seizure for the Sterling Room property," Julian recited smoothly, checking his watch. "Furthermore, Rowe Capital is filing a motion to freeze all remaining corporate accounts pending an audit of misappropriated operating funds dating back to 2024."
Marabel, who had been sitting pale and rigid in the corner of the room, gasped aloud. "You can't do that! That's our family name on the building! That's our legacy!"
"Your legacy, Mrs. Keswick, was traded away the moment your son decided to assault an employee on camera," Julian said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion. "The video of the incident has accumulated over four million views across multiple platforms. The brand value of Keswick Hospitality Group is currently valued at precisely zero dollars."
Where was Paxton?
He wasn't in the boardroom. He wasn't even in the building. As soon as the financial news broke at dawn, Paxton had packed a single designer duffel bag, grabbed his car keys, and driven straight to O'Hare International Airport, hoping to catch a one-way flight to Zurich before his credit cards were officially declined.
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He didn't make it past the security checkpoint.
Federal marshals, acting on a multi-jurisdictional warrant related to unrelated corporate tax irregularities discovered during Rowe Capital’s preliminary due diligence, intercepted him near Gate K12. By noon, Paxton Keswick’s mugshot was sharing headline space with the restaurant scandal across every major Chicago news outlet.
