Chapter 8: The Boardroom Blitz
Monday, 9:00 AM. The Sterling Tower.
The atmosphere in the executive boardroom on the 80th floor was toxic. The twelve members of the Sterling Board of Directors were shouting over one another. News of the disastrous wedding, the assassination attempt, and Eleanor's arrest had leaked to the press. Sterling stocks were plummeting in pre-market trading.
At the head of the long glass table, Arthur's chair sat empty.
"We have to invoke the morality clause and remove Arthur immediately," declared Harrison, the CFO, slamming his fist on the table. "The SEC is breathing down my neck. We need a new interim CEO before the opening bell!"
"And who do you suggest? Marcus?" another board member scoffed. "The boy is a mess. He hasn't left his apartment since the wedding."
Before Harrison could reply, the heavy oak double doors of the boardroom swung open.
The room fell dead silent.
Walking in was not Arthur. It was a young woman they had never seen before. She wore a razor-sharp, tailored midnight-blue pantsuit. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek, no-nonsense bun, and her posture exuded an icy, untouchable confidence.
Flanking her were two of Aegis’s most heavily armed security contractors. Behind them walked Arthur Sterling himself, his hands clasped behind his back, looking like a subordinate rather than a king.
"Who the hell is this?" Harrison demanded, standing up. "Arthur, what is the meaning of this? Security is supposed to keep the press out!"
Maya didn't even blink. She walked directly to the head of the table. She placed her leather briefcase down and looked at the plush, high-backed leather chair.
Then, she sat in it.
Outrage erupted. "Get out of that chair!" Harrison yelled. "Security, remove this girl!"
The Aegis guards didn't move a muscle.
Arthur stepped forward and placed a thick stack of legal documents onto the glass table. "Gentlemen," Arthur said, his voice cutting through the noise like a scythe. "I advise you to sit down and lower your voices."
Maya opened her briefcase and pulled out a remote. She pressed a button, and the smart-glass windows of the boardroom instantly blacked out. The projector lowered from the ceiling.
"My name is Maya Vance," she said smoothly, her voice echoing in the dark room. "I am the biological daughter of Evelyn Vance, the true architect of Project Genesis."
The older board members turned pale. Gasps echoed around the table.
"As of 8:00 AM this morning, my legal team, in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission, has validated the original founding documents of this corporation," Maya continued, projecting the DNA results and the corporate charter onto the screen. "Arthur Sterling was merely a proxy holder. I now hold 100% of the supreme voting shares."
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her eyes scanning the terrified executives.
"You were about to vote on a new CEO. Save your breath. I am taking control of this company. Anyone who has a problem with that can leave their security badge on the table and take the express elevator to the lobby."
Silence. Absolute, terrified silence.
May you like
Slowly, Harrison sank back into his chair. Nobody moved.
Maya smiled, cold and sharp. "Good. Now, someone fetch me a coffee. We have a public relations crisis to fix."
