Chapter 6 - The Trap is Set
Over the next four days, the corporate headquarters of Marchetti Industries transformed into a war zone masked by polite corporate architecture.
Julian Marchetti, believing Elias was isolated and broken, aggressively rallied the board of directors behind closed doors. He secured the backing of three key senior members—Arthur Vance, Harold Finch, and Marcus Sterling—promising them expanded executive portfolios and inflated stock buybacks once Elias was formally ousted under the incapacity clause.
An emergency shareholder meeting was officially scheduled for Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the main auditorium.
By Friday evening, the entire financial district was buzzing with rumors that the legendary Elias Marchetti was about to be forcibly retired from the company he built.
Inside the penthouse office, Elias and Nora reviewed the master plan.
"Julian has sent out formal notices to all major institutional investors," Nora said, scrolling through her tablet as she stood beside Elias’s desk. "He’s positioning the vote as a medical necessity for the stability of the stock price. If we don't present concrete evidence of his embezzlement and car tampering during the first ten minutes of the meeting, the board will vote to strip your executive authority by a majority margin."
"They won't get the chance," Elias said, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. He sat in his titanium wheelchair, looking calm, focused, and utterly lethal. "Did the state prosecutor sign off on the arrest warrant for Leo Vance?"
"An hour ago," Nora confirmed, holding up a certified document bearing the signature of Judge Harrison. "Leo was picked up at his garage in East Bellmont at 4:00 p.m. He broke within twenty minutes of questioning. He signed a full confession implicating Julian, complete with bank routing numbers and audio recordings of their phone calls."
Elias nodded slowly. "And Julian thinks he’s walking into a coronation on Monday morning."
May you like
"Julian thinks he’s won the lottery," Nora corrected with a sharp smile. "He’s currently hosting a private dinner at the Bellmont Country Club with the board members to celebrate your 'peaceful transition.'"
Elias looked out the window at the glittering lights of the city below. "Let him celebrate. It’s going to be a very short weekend."
