Chapter 8 - The Boardroom Execution
Two days later,
the glass-walled boardroom on the top floor of the Bennett Tower was packed with senior executives,
board members,
and legal representatives.
Robert Bennett sat at the head of the long oak table,
his expression weary from the recent public press fallout regarding Daniel’s sudden resignation.
Marcus Croft sat to his right,
looking composed in a bespoke navy suit,
shuffling a stack of quarterly financial reports.
Daniel sat in the corner of the room,
looking like a ghost of his former self,
wearing a rumpled suit,
his eyes hollow and dark.
He was only allowed to attend as a non-voting observer while his departure was finalized.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice,"
Robert began,
clasping his hands together.
"As you know,"
"my son has stepped down due to personal matters,"
"and today we must reassign oversight of our primary investment portfolio."
Marcus cleared his throat politely,
leaning toward the microphone.
"If I may speak,
Robert,"
Marcus said smoothly.
"Given the volatility of the market right now,"
"I suggest we transfer management of those funds directly to my office."
"That would ensure stability while the family resolves its domestic issues."
Before Robert could answer,
the heavy mahogany doors at the back of the boardroom swung wide open.
Margaret entered first,
dressed in an elegant grey suit,
followed immediately by me.
I carried a sleek leather briefcase,
walking with absolute purpose toward the center of the room.
The entire board turned in shock,
whispers breaking out among the executives.
"Margaret?"
Robert asked,
surprised.
"Emily? What is the meaning of this?"
"This emergency session cannot proceed,
Robert,"
Margaret announced,
her voice cutting through the murmurs like a blade.
"Because the man sitting to your right is currently attempting to steal your company."
Marcus’s smile tightened,
though he maintained an air of smug calm.
"Margaret,
please,"
Marcus scoffed lightly.
"I understand this is a emotional time for the family,"
"but this is an official board meeting—"
"Silence,
Marcus,"
I commanded,
stepping up to the projection system and plugging in a flash drive.
The large screens along the walls lit up instantly,
displaying encrypted transaction logs,
bank records,
and wire transfers highlighting Marcus Croft’s offshore accounts.
"Three months ago,"
I presented,
pointing to the primary document,
"Marcus Croft established a dummy corporation named Apex Holdings."
"He hired Vanessa Reed,"
"paid her a retainer of two hundred thousand dollars,"
"and instructed her to target Daniel Bennett."
Daniel stood up from his chair,
his mouth agape,
staring at the documents on the screen.
"What?"
Daniel gasped,
looking at Marcus.
"Marcus... you told me Vanessa was trustworthy!"
"You were the one who introduced me to her at that charity lunch!"
"Shut your mouth,
Daniel!"
Marcus snapped,
his calm demeanor suddenly cracking.
"I continued to trace the paper trail,"
I explained calmly to the stunned board members,
"and found that Marcus had pre-arranged a short-sell order on Bennett Enterprises stock."
"He was waiting for Vanessa to trigger a public scandal,"
"which would drop the stock value by forty percent,"
"allowing Apex Holdings to buy the controlling shares and force Robert out."
Robert turned slowly to face Marcus,
his face turning deep red with rising fury.
"Is this true,
Marcus?"
Robert growled,
his voice trembling with rage.
Marcus looked at the screens,
then at the security guards standing at the back of the room,
realizing there was no escape path left.
"You built an empire on old money,
Robert,"
Marcus sneered,
standing up and buttoning his jacket.
"You were soft,"
"your son was an incompetent child,"
"and I did all the real work to keep this company profitable!"
"I deserved to own it!"
"You won't own anything,"
Margaret interjected coldly.
"The authorities are waiting downstairs in the lobby."
"You're finished,
Marcus."
Two police officers entered the boardroom,
stepping toward Marcus and pulling his arms behind him.
The board members erupted into chaos as Marcus was escorted out,
his curses echoing down the hallway until the doors closed shut.
Daniel sat back down,
May you like
placing his head on the table,
completely destroyed by the knowledge that his affair was nothing more than a trap laid by his own mentor.
