Chapter 5 - The Corporate Guillotine
Marcus arrived at the glass tower of Vanguard Financial sweating through his custom-tailored suit. He bypassed the receptionist, ignoring her cold, avoiding gaze, and pushed his way into the top-floor boardroom.
The room was packed. The entire board of directors sat around the mahogany table, alongside the company’s legal counsel and two uniformed federal financial investigators. At the head of the table sat a man who didn't work there—Gabriel. He was dressed in a sharp charcoal suit, looking every bit the ruthless apex predator he was.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Marcus shouted, trying to project authority as he marched toward the table. "Who let this man in here? He broke into my house! He assaulted me!"
The CEO of Vanguard, an elderly man named Harrison, raised a single hand to silence him. "Sit down, Marcus. Or the federal marshals waiting outside will sit you down."
Marcus froze, his eyes darting between Gabriel and the federal agents. "Mr. Harrison, I can explain whatever wild accusations—"
"We don't need your explanations," Gabriel interrupted, his voice echoing cleanly through the room. With a press of a button on his remote, the massive 85-inch screen on the boardroom wall flickered to life.
The footage played. The entire room watched in horrified silence as Marcus brandished the iron poker, as Barbara mocked a pregnant woman on the floor, and as I screamed for my baby’s life. The audio of Marcus sneering, "Do you honestly think anyone is coming to save you?" reverberated off the glass walls.
Several board members turned their heads away in disgust. The CEO looked at Marcus with sheer revulsion.
"We have also completed an emergency audit of your accounts, Mr. Vance," Gabriel continued smoothly. "It turns out you've been embezzling corporate funds for three years, laundering them through shell companies registered in your wife's name. We've handed all the decryption keys to the FBI."
May you like
Marcus collapsed into a chair, his legs completely giving out. "No... please... I'll lose everything."
"You already have," Gabriel said, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "You're fired, your shares are forfeited to pay for restitution, and the FBI has a warrant for your arrest. Enjoy the ride downstairs."
