Chapter 13: The Corporate Bleeding
By Wednesday morning, the financial world was in a complete frenzy. The DNA results had been expedited through a private, court-approved laboratory.
The probability of maternity between Eleanor Vanderbilt and Maya Miller was 99.99%.
The moment the court unsealed the results, Vanderbilt Shipping stock plummeted another twenty percent. Shareholders were panicking. The legacy clause in the Vanderbilt trust was explicit: control of the multi-billion-dollar empire belonged solely to a biological heir. Robert had no legal standing to run the company without his wife’s or biological child's proxy. And Eleanor had officially revoked hers.
Inside the glass-walled boardroom of Vanderbilt Tower, an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors had descended into shouting. Robert stood at the head of the long oak table, his face a mask of pale, desperate fury.
"This is a fabricated media circus!" Robert barked, slamming his fist onto the table. "You are looking at a hostile takeover engineered by a gold-digging fraud and a disgruntled wife! I built this company into a global superpower. You will not suspend me!"
"The trust documents are ironclad, Robert," said Arthur Sterling, the oldest member of the board and a former confidant of Robert’s father. He looked at Robert with profound disgust. "If you committed fraud to secure the inheritance, you are in breach of fiduciary duty. We have a legal obligation to freeze your executive powers until the federal investigation is concluded."
"You don't have the votes!" Robert snarled.
"Actually, they do," a voice echoed from the heavy double doors.
The boardroom fell dead silent. Liam walked into the room, flanked by two armed security guards that he had personally hired. He looked immaculate in a tailored charcoal suit, his posture radiating absolute authority.
"Liam," Robert sneered, though a flicker of genuine panic crossed his eyes. "You have been suspended. Security, remove him."
"Security works for the company, Robert. And as of ten minutes ago, the legal heir to the Vanderbilt Trust has officially signed over her voting proxy to me," Liam said smoothly, tossing a heavy legal binder onto the polished table. It slid perfectly to a stop in front of Arthur Sterling.
"Maya Miller—or Maya Vanderbilt, as the court officially recognizes her—controls sixty percent of the voting shares," Liam announced, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. "And her first act as majority shareholder is to fire you, Robert. Effective immediately. You are barred from the premises."
Robert’s face turned an ugly shade of purple. He lunged across the table toward Liam, but the private security guards instantly stepped forward, pinning Robert by his arms.
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"You are nothing!" Robert spat, thrashing against the guards. "I bought you! You are a nobody from Queens!"
"You're right," Liam said quietly, staring down at the man who had manipulated his entire existence. "I am nobody. But I’m the nobody who just took everything you ever cared about."
