Chapter 8 - THE BOARDROOM BATTLE
The atmosphere inside the executive boardroom of Caldwell Enterprises was completely suffocating.
Twelve of the most powerful investors and board members sat around the long mahogany table, their faces grim and severely unamused.
At the head of the table, Arthur Sterling, Victoria’s father, sat with a smug, victorious sneer plastered across his wrinkled face.
He had called this emergency meeting to demand a vote of no confidence against Ethan.
"Your reckless behavior is destroying the stock price, Ethan," Arthur stated loudly, tossing a thick folder onto the polished wood.
"You publicly humiliated my daughter, severed a billion-dollar merger, and claimed a maid's bastard child as your heir."
Several board members nodded in agreement, murmuring quietly to each other about the sudden instability of the company.
Ethan sat directly across from Arthur, casually spinning a heavy silver pen between his long fingers.
He did not look angry, nor did he look panicked by the mutiny brewing right in front of him.
He looked utterly and dangerously bored.
"Are you quite finished, Arthur?" Ethan asked calmly, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"I am demanding you step down as CEO, or we will force a hostile takeover by the end of the week," Arthur threatened, slamming his fist on the table.
Ethan finally stopped spinning the pen and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the cool mahogany wood.
"You seem to have forgotten exactly who built this company from a single laptop in a freezing basement," Ethan said softly.
He snapped his fingers, and Marcus, his head of security, stepped out of the shadows and handed him a slim black folder.
Ethan slid the folder slowly across the long table until it stopped perfectly in front of Arthur.
"Open it," Ethan commanded.
Arthur glared at him suspiciously before flipping the cover open, his confident sneer instantly evaporating.
Inside were dozens of high-resolution photographs and bank statements detailing Arthur’s illegal offshore accounts and offshore money laundering operations.
"I have spent the last three years turning a blind eye to your sloppy embezzlement because of the pending merger," Ethan explained coldly.
"But since we are no longer doing business together, I felt it was my civic duty to share these documents with the federal authorities."
Arthur turned a sickening shade of pale gray, his hands shaking violently as he stared at his own impending prison sentence.
"You wouldn't dare," Arthur choked out, sweat completely covering his forehead.
"The FBI is currently waiting in the lobby to escort you out of my building," Ethan replied, checking his expensive watch.
The rest of the board members stared in absolute, terrified silence as Ethan stood up and buttoned his jacket.
"If anyone else in this room has a problem with how I run my personal life, please, speak up now."
No one moved a single muscle.
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"Excellent," Ethan said, flashing a dark, predatory smile.
"This meeting is adjourned."
