Chapter 14 - The Battle for Apex Capital
The board meeting with Julian Cross took place at three o'clock that afternoon.
Julian sat at the long mahogany table inside Bennett Tower,
wearing a three-piece Italian suit,
arrogantly sipping black coffee.
He was a man in his late fifties,
with sleek grey hair and cold,
calculating blue eyes.
"Robert,"
Julian began,
his voice brimming with false warmth,
"Bennett Enterprises is facing unprecedented public scandal."
"Your son is disgraced,"
"your CFO is in prison,"
"and your stock values are vulnerable."
"I am offering to buy fifty-one percent of your shares at a generous price,"
"allowing you to retire quietly with your dignity intact."
Robert stared at him,
his fists clenched on the table,
unable to speak from sheer outrage.
I stepped forward from the back of the room,
holding a thick red binder.
"That won't be necessary,
Mr. Cross,"
I announced,
setting the binder directly in front of him.
Julian looked up,
offering a condescending smirk.
"And who might you be?"
he asked smoothly.
"The former wife who got lucky?"
"I am Emily Vance,"
I replied,
my voice echoing with absolute authority.
"Vice President of Corporate Strategy,"
"and the person who currently holds controlling proxy votes for thirty-five percent of Bennett Enterprises."
Julian laughed softly,
shaking his head.
"A proxy vote doesn't stop a hostile takeover,
my dear."
"No,"
I agreed,
opening the binder to page one.
"But a federal indictment for wire fraud,"
"interstate extortion,"
"and corporate espionage certainly does."
Julian’s smirk vanished instantly,
his eyes scanning the certified confession from Vanessa Reed,
the bank tracking numbers from his offshore account,
and the sworn affidavit from the prosecutor.
"Vanessa broke thirty minutes ago in court,"
I informed him,
leaning over the table until I was inches from his face.
"She surrendered every email,"
"every text message,"
"and every wire transfer record connecting you to Marcus Croft."
Margaret stepped up beside me,
her posture commanding and regal.
"As of ten minutes ago,"
Margaret added,
"our legal team filed an emergency injunction freezing all of Apex Capital's assets in Illinois."
Julian’s face turned gray,
his hands trembling slightly as he closed the binder.
"You think you've won?"
Julian whispered,
his voice filled with dark spite.
"I have lawyers,"
"I have political connections—"
"You have five minutes to leave this building,"
I interrupted coldly,
pointing toward the exit.
"Before the FBI agents waiting in the lobby come up to arrest you."
Julian stood up abruptly,
his chair sliding back with a loud screech,
and stormed out of the boardroom without saying another word.
May you like
The entire room erupted into wild applause from the board members,
Robert smiling through tears of relief.
