Chapter 5 - The Ultimate Creditor
The sound of the documents hitting the glass table seemed to snap Charles out of his momentary shock.
His survival instincts flared up once again, fueled by the desperation of a cornered animal.
"You think you can just march in here and play God because of a forty-year-old grudge?" Charles snarled, his face turning a dark shade of red.
"You don't understand how this city works, Mrs. Vance."
"The Board of Directors is a brotherhood, and they will tie you up in injunctions until you go bankrupt paying legal fees!"
Evelyn simply smiled, a terrifying expression that showed too many teeth.
"Oh, Charles, you are still playing checkers while I have already flipped the chess board over," she said softly.
Suddenly, the private elevator chimed, and the heavy doors slid open.
Four older men, all wearing custom-tailored suits and expressions of intense fury, marched into the executive suite.
It was the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, led by Richard Sterling himself, who had apparently abandoned his golf game.
Richard was a tall, imposing man with silver hair and a permanent scowl that usually terrified his subordinates into submission.
"Evelyn Vance," Richard barked, stepping into the office with the unearned confidence of a man who had never been told 'no'.
"This illegal occupation of private property ends right now."
Charles let out a loud sigh of relief, rushing over to stand behind Richard like a frightened child hiding behind a bully.
"Richard, thank God you are here, she has locked down the entire branch!" Charles practically cheered.
Evelyn remained seated behind the desk, completely unbothered by the sudden arrival of four angry billionaires.
"Good morning, Richard," Evelyn greeted him calmly.
"I was wondering how long it would take your driver to get you here from the country club."
Richard slammed his hands down on the desk, leaning forward to try and intimidate the elderly woman.
"I have my lawyers on the phone with a federal judge right now, filing an emergency restraining order against you," Richard threatened.
"You may have tricked the European shareholders into selling, but you do not have the legal authority to seize our operations!"
Evelyn sighed deeply, looking at the four men as if they were slightly slow children who hadn't done their homework.
"Richard, did you even bother to read the acquisition contract before you rushed over here?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't need to read it to know that corporate law requires a thirty-day transition period before you can execute personnel changes!" Richard shouted.
Evelyn nodded to the lead auditor standing silently in the corner of the room.
The auditor stepped forward and handed Richard a single, legally notarized piece of paper.
Richard snatched it violently and began to read, his furious expression slowly melting into absolute horror.
"What is it, Richard?" one of the other board members asked, sensing the sudden shift in the room's energy.
Richard looked up from the paper, his hands trembling violently.
"She didn't just buy the controlling shares," Richard whispered, his voice cracking.
"She bought our corporate debt."
Evelyn leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk, her eyes locking onto Richard's terrified face.
"That is correct," Evelyn confirmed, her voice ringing out clearly in the silent office.
"I bought the seven hundred million dollars in leveraged debt that your board foolishly took out to fund your disastrous real estate expansions last year."
Charles looked at Richard, panic setting in as he realized the implications.
"What does that mean?" Charles demanded, tugging nervously at his collar.
"It means that I am not just the majority shareholder," Evelyn explained with a cruel, satisfied smile.
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"I am the bank's sole primary creditor."
"And according to the terms of your own incredibly stupid loan agreements, the creditor has the right to demand immediate repayment in full if the executive leadership is found guilty of criminal fraud."
