Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Blitz
Seventy-two hours later.
Julian, running on zero sleep and sheer panic, marched into the executive boardroom of Vance Logistics. He needed the board of directors to vote on an emergency liquidation of the company's real estate assets. He needed cash to hire the best lawyers in the state before Elena surfaced.
"Gentlemen," Julian started, sweating through his tailored suit as he faced the twelve board members. "We are facing a temporary liquidity crisis. I need authorization to sell the downtown warehouses."
The chairman of the board, an older man who had been loyal to Elena's father, frowned. "Julian, we can't authorize a sale of that magnitude without the majority shareholder's signature."
"My wife is legally presumed dead, or at the very least, mentally incapacitated!" Julian shouted, slamming his fist on the mahogany table. "I have the power of attorney!"
The heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open.
"Actually, Julian, that power of attorney was revoked exactly forty-eight minutes ago."
The entire room turned. Elena stood in the doorway. She wasn't wearing the muddy travel clothes from three days ago. She was dressed in a sharp, slate-gray designer suit, her hair pulled back into a sleek, severe bun. She looked every inch the billionaire CEO she was born to be.
Julian stumbled backward, knocking over his leather chair. "Security! Get her out of here!"
Nobody moved. Two massive men in dark suits—Marcus's private contractors—stepped into the room behind Elena, effectively sealing the exit.
Elena walked to the head of the table. She tossed a thick, leather-bound dossier onto the glass.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Elena said smoothly, completely ignoring her hyperventilating husband. "I apologize for my extended absence. I was contracted by the Department of Defense. As of this morning, I am officially reinstating my position as CEO and majority shareholder of Vance Logistics."
"You can't do this!" Julian screamed. "We are legally married! Half of this is mine!"
Elena finally looked at him. Her eyes were as cold and dead as a shark's.
"Page four of the dossier, gentlemen," Elena instructed the board. "You will find irrefutable proof that Julian Vance has been embezzling company funds for three years. Page seven shows the forged shipping manifests he used to cover it up."
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The boardroom erupted in gasps as the men flipped through the damning evidence.
"Julian," Elena stepped closer to him, her voice dropping to a whisper meant only for his ears. "By noon today, the SEC and the FBI will have these files. You're not getting a divorce settlement. You're getting twenty years in federal prison."
