Chapter 4 - The Boardroom Surprise
At quarter past one in the afternoon, the glass-and-steel skyscraper of Crestview Holdings in downtown Manhattan was bustling with busy executives.
Ethan sat at the head of the massive oak conference table on the forty-fifth floor, wearing his bespoke dark grey suit. Chloe sat quietly behind him in the assistant’s chair, wearing a broad silk sling over her left arm, looking delicate and frail for the benefit of the gathered board members.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Ethan said, clapping his hands together with absolute confidence as he looked around at the eight board members. "Today marks the culmination of three hard years of expansion in Chicago. With the Singapore consortium’s capital injection, Crestview Holdings will double its market cap by the third quarter."
Old Arthur Pendelton, the senior board member appointed by my late father’s estate, cleared his throat. "Ethan, where is Mabel? This restructuring involves the redemption of her primary class-A shares. She needs to be present to execute the transfer."
Ethan smiled easily, waving his hand dismissively. "Mabel isn't feeling well today, Arthur. The stress of my return has been... overwhelming for her. However, she executed a full power-of-attorney proxy before I left Chicago."
Ethan pulled a thick leather-bound document from his leather briefcase and slid it across the polished table toward Arthur.
"Her signature has been verified by our internal legal team," Ethan lied smoothly, leaning back in his leather chair. "We can proceed with the vote immediately."
BANG.
The heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open, slamming hard against the wood-paneled walls.
Every director in the room turned around in shock.
I walked into the boardroom, wearing a tailored midnight-blue pantsuit, high-end Italian heels, and carrying a thin silver briefcase. Behind me walked David Vance and three senior agents from the Securities and Exchange Commission carrying official federal seal folders.
Ethan’s confident smile instantly froze. His face went pale as he pushed himself up from his chair.
"Mabel?" Ethan rasped, his voice dropping an octave. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay at home and rest!"
Chloe shrank back into her chair, her eyes widening in sudden panic as she recognized the federal badges pinned to the lapels of the men following me.
"I’m here to attend the board meeting, Ethan," I said smoothly, stepping to the foot of the table opposite him. "After all, it’s hard to vote on a thirty-percent share transfer when the shareholder is standing right in front of you."
May you like
"Mabel, don't create a scene!" Ethan hissed, stepping around the table toward me, his eyes darting nervously to the other directors. "We can discuss your domestic grievances at home! This is a corporate meeting!"
"It was a corporate meeting," David Vance stepped forward, pulling a court order from his leather bag and sliding it across the table directly to Arthur Pendelton. "It is now a federal asset freeze."
