Chapter 3 - The Emergency Boardroom Ambush and the Unexpected Proxy
The mahogany boardroom on the forty-third floor of Prescott Global was suffocatingly hot, despite the high-end climate control system humming quietly in the ceiling.
Twelve members of the board of directors sat around the massive oval table, their faces carved out of stone.
At the head of the table sat Aaron Prescott, sweating through his custom charcoal suit, his fingers nervously drumming against the polished wood.
To his right sat his mother, Eleanor Prescott, who held two percent of the voting shares and looked ready to commit murder.
“Mr. Prescott,” spoke Arthur Sterling, the elderly patriarch of the board and the largest independent shareholder outside of the Prescott family trust.
“Let us dispense with the corporate pleasantries and address the elephant in the room—or rather, the digital bomb your wife detonated across our internal network at dawn today.”
Aaron swallowed hard, forcing a tight, professional smile.
“Arthur, I assure you, this is merely a private marital dispute that has been temporarily blown out of proportion by social media gossip. My legal team is already handling the separation amicably—”
“Amicably?!” Eleanor interrupted sharply, glaring daggers at her son.
“Your wife publicly humiliated our entire family name! The stock opened down four percent this morning! Apex Capital’s lead negotiators just called my private residence asking if your personal instability is going to jeopardize the fifty-million-dollar acquisition!”
Before Aaron could defend himself, the heavy double doors at the back of the boardroom clicked open.
Everyone turned, expecting a late-arriving executive or a messenger with documents.
Instead, Nathan Brooks walked into the room.
He wasn't wearing his usual courtroom robes or carrying a casual briefcase.
He wore a razor-sharp, dark navy suit, carrying a thick leather folio under his arm, flanked by two junior attorneys hauling heavy banker’s boxes.
The room went dead silent.
Aaron stood up halfway out of his chair, his eyes wide with sudden panic.
“Nathan Brooks?” Aaron stammered.
“What the hell are you doing in here? This is a private executive session of Prescott Global. You have no jurisdiction here without an appointment.”
Nathan didn't even look at Aaron.
He walked straight down the length of the long mahogany table, stopping right beside Arthur Sterling’s seat.
Nathan opened his leather folio, pulled out a heavy parchment document with gold foil seals, and laid it flat on the table in front of the elderly board chairman.
“Good afternoon, members of the board,” Nathan said, his voice smooth, calm, and utterly chilling.
“My name is Nathan Brooks. I am legal counsel representing Mrs. Claire Prescott.”
Eleanor scoffed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest.
“That insignificant little nobody sent her lawyer to beg for a higher alimony settlement? Tell her she’ll get what Aaron’s prenuptial agreement allows, and not a single penny more!”
Nathan slowly turned his head, fixing Eleanor with a cold, piercing stare that instantly made her recoil.
“Mrs. Prescott,” Nathan said softly, emphasizing every single syllable.
“Mrs. Claire Prescott is not here to beg. She is here to foreclose.”
The boardroom erupted into murmurs.
Aaron’s face turned the color of ash.
“Foreclose on what?” Aaron snapped, slamming his palms onto the table.
“Claire doesn't own anything! She came into this marriage with a few modest trusts and a house her father gave her! Prescott Global is a multi-million-dollar corporation built by my blood, sweat, and tears!”
Nathan calmly pulled a second document from his folio and slid it across the table toward Arthur Sterling.
“Mr. Sterling, if you would be so kind as to read Section Four, Paragraph B of the document I just placed before you.”
Arthur adjusted his reading glasses, lowered his head, and scanned the heavy paper.
As his eyes tracked across the lines of text, the color rapidly drained from his weathered face.
His hands began to tremble.
“Good God…” Arthur whispered, looking up in absolute horror.
“What is it, Arthur?!” Eleanor demanded, leaning over the table.
“Read it out loud!”
Arthur swallowed hard, his voice shaking as he read the words to the entire silent room.
“‘Be it known that thirty-four percent of the voting common stock and fifty-one percent of the underlying commercial real estate mortgages held by Prescott Global are currently owned, in full and unencumbered, by Apex Equity Holdings LLC.’”
Arthur looked up, staring directly at Aaron with undisguised contempt.
“And according to these verified corporate registry filings,” Arthur continued, his voice echoing off the walls, “the sole controlling shareholder, ultimate beneficiary, and managing director of Apex Equity Holdings LLC… is Claire Prescott.”
The boardroom exploded into utter chaos.
Aaron stumbled backward, his knees hitting his chair as he stared in unadulterated shock.
“That’s impossible!” Aaron screamed, his voice cracking.
“Apex Equity is a multi-million-dollar private investment firm! It’s owned by… it’s owned by an anonymous trust! Claire is just a housewife! She reads books! She arranges flowers! She doesn't even know what a hostile takeover is!”
Nathan Brooks calmly closed his leather folio, offering Aaron a cold, razor-thin smile.
“Mr. Prescott,” Nathan said softly, picking up his pen.
“For three years, you treated your wife like an invisible accessory who should feel grateful to share your last name. You spent your nights with your secretary, believing Claire had no idea what was happening behind her back.”
Nathan leaned forward, resting his palms on the table and towering over Aaron.
“While you were busy playing corporate executive, Claire’s grandfather left her his entire private equity portfolio before you were even married. And as of this morning, my client has authorized me to file an immediate motion calling for a complete forensic audit of Prescott Global, a freeze on all corporate accounts, and a vote of no confidence to strip you of your CEO title effective immediately.”
Aaron stared at him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
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The mighty CEO of Prescott Global, who had conquered the Boston business world by twenty-eight, was suddenly brought entirely to his knees by the very wife he had spent three years ignoring.
And the worst part was—this was only chapter one of Claire’s revenge.
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