Chapter 6 - Hostile Takeover
Friday arrived with a thunderstorm that battered the windows of the Sterling Enterprise building in downtown Boston. The board of directors was in a panic. The stock was down forty percent. Victoria was under federal investigation for the tax fraud dossier I had leaked, and Julian was entirely checked out, grieving a family he never truly had.
They needed a bailout. They needed an angel investor.
At exactly 2:00 PM, the heavy mahogany doors of the Sterling boardroom swung open. The board members gasped as I walked in, flanked by my legal counsel and financial advisors. I was wearing a razor-sharp white suit, a stark contrast to the dark, oppressive room.
"What is the meaning of this?" Victoria demanded, her face pale, the stress of the week finally aging her a decade. "Security!"
"Sit down, Victoria," I commanded, pulling out a chair at the head of the table. "You don't own this building anymore. As of 1:45 PM today, AetherTech Acquisitions has secured a controlling interest in Sterling Enterprises. I am your new majority shareholder."
The room erupted into chaos, but I just held up a hand. The silence that followed was absolute.
"Your company is archaic. Your leadership is toxic. I’m stripping this board down to the studs," I announced, dropping a thick stack of termination papers onto the polished wood. "Victoria, you are stepping down immediately, without severance, pending your criminal trial. Julian..."
May you like
I looked at my ex-husband, who was staring at me with a mix of awe and devastation. "...Julian will retain a figurehead position on the advisory board, but he will have no executive power."
I had done it. I had completely conquered the kingdom that once tried to destroy me.
