REESE

chapter thirty three.

Reese POV:

-BREAKING NEWS-
CRYPTIC INC STOCK SKYROCKETS AS CEO REESE VANDERBILT REVEALS HER IDENTITY TO THE WORLD

"We live in an age of secrets.

It is simply our reality. We can try and argue against it but the fact of the matter is that the American public is painfully unaware of what is happening with our country's leaders, institutions and corporations. So much is unknown, so much is purposely hidden from us. Americans are naively swimming in inequality and there is little to nothing we can do about it. I urge the public to take a moment, step back and think. How much do you know about the corporations you are blindly giving your money to? How much do you know about the people behind the businesses responsible for running our country and our economy?

This is an urgent reminder that the rich and powerful gain more influence everyday. The United States houses huge disparities in income and wealth that translate into disparities in power. As citizens of the United States we would like to assume that we have a small hand against corporate power, but recent events now suggest otherwise.

Reese Vanderbilt's identity was revealed yesterday. We all sat front row as witnesses to the world absolutely losing its mind. In the past twenty four hours since her picture was released, Cryptic Incorporated stock skyrocketed as their company tech and cars sold out across the globe, John. F Kennedy International airport struggled to handle the mass increase in flights to New York, all while global press swarmed the outside of every Cryptic building that has allowed its location to be known to the public. The aftermath of the photo has been deemed successful for Reese Vanderbilt but once again American citizens are being overlooked.

We have been given a small amount of information pertaining to Cryptic's CEO but the information we have received is shocking to say the least. It has been confirmed that Reese Vanderbilt is the daughter of known New York businessman, Jonathan Vanderbillt. Together, the Vanderbilts combine to create a net worth of over four hundred and fifty billion U.S dollars. We as a public are not grasping how ridiculous that number is. For perspective, the national median family income for the United States in the fiscal year 2021 is seventy-nine thousand dollars. Consider that for a moment, seventy-nine thousand dollars. If that is not concerning enough for you, let us consider the second piece of information we have received about the face of technology.

Reese Vanderbilt is eighteen years old.

Eighteen years old.

The billionaire behind the technology we worship is yet to be of legal age. For the past eight years we have been unknowingly throwing an abundance of power and influence into the hands of a child. That is what Reese Vanderbilt is, a child. She is a young girl that just happens to be one of the most powerful people in the United States, maybe even the world. The shock Reese Vanderbilt's elaborate identity reveal released should be a wake up call for everyone. America's one percent have undue influence over our lives, and it is time to question our control.

What else don't we know about America's one percent?

What else are billionaires like Reese Vanderbilt hiding?"

"Turn that off."

I clenched my jaw as my dad's gruff voice pierced through the silence of our living room. Despite the large room being quiet, it was far from being vacant. Me, my dad, the Rutherfords, the Gonzales', the Ivanovs, the Takahashis and the Di Genovas were all spread out across the vast space. To my surprise, when everyone arrived, there was no tension between the Di Genovas and the remaining four empires. Everyone simply sat down and transfixed their attention onto the TV screen that had been non-stop broadcasting the breaking news of the decade. Almost every major global news source was reporting on my name, and everyone had an opinion. The reveal of my face had practically caused an uproar and I knew the best way to handle it was to wait it out.