Chapter 6 - EMPIRE OF DIRT
The boardroom of Cross Medical Technologies was a glass-walled sanctuary suspended on the fiftieth floor of the Willis Tower. At the head of the massive mahogany table sat Vanessa Cross. She was dressed in an immaculate white suit, the picture of resilient elegance, despite the bruising on her cheek from Claire’s slap, which she had heavily concealed with makeup.
Around the table sat twelve board members. Some looked uncomfortable; others, the ones Vanessa had heavily compensated with illicit company funds, looked smug.
“Gentlemen,” Vanessa began, her voice steady and tragic. “We are here today because my husband, Daniel, has suffered a complete psychological breakdown. The tragic incident at the gala—orchestrated by his unstable ex-wife—has left him unable to fulfill his duties as CEO. For the stability of our stock and the future of our medical innovations, I am calling for an immediate vote of no confidence.”
“Is it really necessary, Vanessa?” asked Arthur Pendelton, an older board member who had been with Daniel since the beginning. “Daniel has been at the hospital. His daughter almost died.”
“Which is exactly why he is compromised, Arthur,” Vanessa countered smoothly. “He is not thinking of the shareholders. I have the proxy votes. Let us begin.”
Before a single hand could be raised, the heavy oak double doors of the boardroom were thrown open.
Two security guards tried to stop them, but stepped aside at the withering glare of the man who signed their paychecks.
Daniel strode into the room, impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, radiating absolute authority. But the collective gasp from the board was not for Daniel.
It was for the woman walking beside him.
Claire Donovan wore a crimson blazer that fit her like armor. Her hair was pulled back in a sharp twist, and her eyes held the lethal precision of a sniper. In her hands, she carried a thick leather portfolio.
“Daniel,” Vanessa said, standing up, trying to maintain her composure. “You are not authorized—”
“Sit down and shut up, Vanessa,” Daniel commanded. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a deadly weight that made two board members physically flinch.
Vanessa’s jaw tightened, but she remained standing. “Security, remove this woman. Claire Donovan has no business in this building.”
“Actually, she does,” Daniel said, taking his place at the opposite end of the table, leaving Vanessa at the other. “As of an hour ago, I have legally reinstated Claire Donovan as the Chief Operating Officer of this company, a position she never should have left.”
“You can’t do that without a board vote!” Vanessa snapped.
“I can, because I own the controlling shares,” Daniel replied.
“You transferred them to the joint holding company, Daniel,” Vanessa smiled wickedly. “You don't have 51% anymore. We are voting you out right now.”
Claire stepped forward, tossing the thick leather portfolio onto the center of the table. It landed with a heavy, satisfying thud.
“You’re right, Vanessa,” Claire said, her voice echoing perfectly in the acoustics of the room. “Daniel doesn't have the controlling shares. Because the joint holding company you created required the signatures of both spouses to be legally binding under Illinois corporate law.”
Vanessa frowned. “I signed it. He signed it.”
“He signed it,” Claire smiled, a predatory expression that sent a chill down Vanessa’s spine. “But the marriage license you submitted to the state of Illinois? It’s invalid. It turns out, Vanessa, you never legally divorced your second husband, a Mr. Thomas Sterling, who is currently serving time in a federal penitentiary for wire fraud. A scam you were heavily involved in, but managed to escape by pinning the blame on him.”
The boardroom erupted into chaos. Men in expensive suits began shouting over each other.
Vanessa’s face turned the color of ash. “That... that is a lie! That’s slander!”
“It’s a certified document from the Department of Justice,” Claire corrected, projecting the FBI dossier onto the massive screen behind Vanessa. Mugshots, forged signatures, and trial transcripts flooded the room. “You are a bigamist, Vanessa. Your marriage to Daniel is null and void. The pre-nup is void. The holding company is void. You own absolutely nothing.”
Daniel stood up, his eyes locked on the woman who had nearly destroyed his family. “Arthur, call for the vote.”
Arthur Pendelton cleared his throat, a grim smile on his face. “All in favor of terminating Vanessa Cross—or whatever her real name is—from the Board of Directors and as VP of Acquisitions, with zero severance?”
Every single hand in the room went up. Even the men Vanessa had bribed raised their hands, desperate to distance themselves from a federal criminal.
“Motion passes,” Arthur declared.
“You’re fired, Vanessa,” Daniel said softly.
Just then, the boardroom doors opened again. Detective Miller walked in, flanked by two uniformed officers.
“Vanessa Sterling,” Miller said, pulling a pair of silver handcuffs from his belt. “You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Lily Cross, grand larceny, and corporate espionage. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
Vanessa let out a guttural scream of rage. She lunged not at Daniel, but at Claire, her perfectly manicured nails curved into claws.
Claire didn't flinch. She simply sidestepped, grabbed Vanessa by the lapels of her white suit, and shoved her hard into the arms of the waiting police officers.
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“Watch your step,” Claire whispered into Vanessa’s ear as the cuffs clicked shut. “It’s a long way down.”
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