Chapter 4: The Boardroom Reckoning
Chapter 4: The Boardroom Reckoning
Forty-eight hours later.
Matthew walked into NexusCore headquarters expecting damage control.
Instead...
He found every board member already seated.
No one stood to greet him.
At the far end of the table sat a woman he hadn't expected to see.
Me.
My left wrist rested in a medical brace.
Bruises remained visible beneath the collar of my blouse.
I looked directly at him.
No fear.
No tears.
Only clarity.
"What is this?" he demanded.
The chairman folded his hands.
"Mr. Hayes."
"We've completed a preliminary review."
Matthew scoffed.
"So?"
"So it appears much of NexusCore's original intellectual strategy, investor acquisition, and early financing originated from Mrs.—"
He corrected himself.
"Ms. Sterling."
Silence filled the room.
The chairman continued.
"Additionally..."
He slid several photographs across the table.
Crime-scene photographs.
The cane.
My injuries.
Timestamped security footage.
Matthew's face drained of color.
"This isn't relevant."
"It is."
The company's general counsel spoke next.
"The board has voted unanimously."
"You are hereby removed as CEO pending criminal proceedings."
"No."
"You can't—"
"We already have."
Security entered.
Not Sterling security.
Corporate security.
"Sir."
"We'll escort you out."
Matthew looked toward me one last time.
"You planned this."
I met his gaze.
"No."
"You did."
Then I stood.
Winced from the pain.
And answered quietly.
"You planned it the moment you decided I belonged to you."
He had no reply.
May you like
Minutes later...
The man who once believed he owned everything walked out carrying a single cardboard box.
