Chapter 4 - The Boardroom Bloodbath
The following morning,
the sun rose over Manhattan with a brutal,
unforgiving brightness.
Inside the headquarters of Blackstone Crest Holdings,
the atmosphere was electric with fear.
The news had broken at 3:00 AM.
The headlines were merciless.
"CEO FIRED AT GALA."
"THE SECRET QUEEN OF BLACKSTONE REVEALED."
"EVERETT HART: FROM GOLDEN BOY TO GHOST."
The elevator doors opened on the 50th floor,
and I stepped out.
I wasn't wearing silk today.
I was wearing a tailored charcoal suit,
my hair pulled back into a sharp,
no-nonsense bun.
The receptionist,
a woman who used to barely glance up when I walked in to drop off Everett’s lunch,
nearly fell out of her chair.
"Ms. Hart!"
she stammered,
scrambling to her feet.
"I... I didn't expect you so early."
"I’m sure you didn't,
Sarah,"
I said,
walking past her without stopping.
"Is the board gathered?"
"Yes,
ma’am,"
she replied,
tripping over her words.
"They’ve been in the conference room for two hours."
"They’re... they’re very concerned about the stock price."
I pushed open the heavy oak doors of the boardroom.
The room went silent instantly.
Twelve of the most powerful men in finance were sitting around the table,
their faces a mix of shock and calculation.
At the head of the table sat Arthur Sterling,
the oldest member of the board and a long-time friend of Everett’s father.
"Evelyn,"
Arthur said,
standing up.
"This is an unprecedented move."
"The markets are down four percent in pre-market trading."
"You can't just fire a CEO without a succession plan."
I walked to the head of the table and sat in the chair that had been Everett’s for five years.
I didn't ask for permission.
I just took it.
"The succession plan is sitting in front of you,"
I said,
placing my tablet on the table.
"I am taking over as interim CEO,
effective immediately."
A man at the end of the table,
a shark named Henderson,
scoffed.
"With all due respect,
Evelyn,"
"you’ve spent the last decade hosting charity luncheons."
"Running a multi-billion dollar investment firm is a different world."
"You don't have the experience."
I looked at Henderson,
my gaze steady.
"Henderson,"
"in 2019,"
"you advised Everett to buy the Phoenix holdings in Singapore."
"He thought it was his idea,"
"but the white paper you read was written by me."
"I leaked it to you to see if you were smart enough to recognize a hedge."
"You weren't."
"You almost cost this company two hundred million dollars."
"The only reason the deal didn't go through was because I personally called the Singaporean regulator and had the sale blocked."
The room went dead silent.
Henderson’s face turned white.
"You... you did what?"
"I’ve been the invisible hand guiding this company since the day I married Everett,"
I said,
looking around the table.
"I know every trade you’ve made."
"I know every kickback you’ve taken."
"And I know that three of you have been helping Everett hide corporate funds in offshore accounts."
I tapped a button on my tablet,
and a list of names appeared on the large screen at the front of the room.
"Those three individuals have until the end of this meeting to resign."
"If you do,"
"I won't hand your files over to the SEC."
"If you don't,"
"well,"
"I’ve already had my lawyers draft the indictments."
One by one,
the three men stood up.
They didn't say a word.
They didn't look at their colleagues.
They simply walked out of the room,
their shadows long and thin against the carpet.
I turned back to the remaining board members.
"Now,"
"shall we discuss the Q3 projections?"
"Or are we still worried about my experience with charity luncheons?"
Arthur Sterling sat back down,
a look of genuine respect—and fear—crossing his face.
"I think,"
Arthur said quietly,
"that we are in very capable hands."
"Good,"
I said.
"First item of business:"
"We are liquidating all assets tied to Everett Hart’s personal projects."
"The yacht in Monaco,"
"the jet,"
"and the private club memberships."
"We are also filing a civil suit against Everett for embezzlement."
"I want him to feel the weight of every penny he stole from this company."
"I want him to understand,"
May you like
"that when you burn a bridge,"
"you'd better make sure you're not still standing on it."
