Chapter 6 - THE RECKONING IN THE BOARDROOM
Three days later, the 80th-floor boardroom of Vance Global looked more like a war room than a corporate office.
The towering floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic, fog-draped view of the Manhattan skyline. Around the massive mahogany conference table sat the remaining board members, their faces pale and drawn, terrified of the axe that was about to fall. They had all profited from Natalie’s reign, turning a blind eye to her embezzlement, her hostile takeovers, and her ruthless silencing of whistleblowers.
Arthur Vance sat at the head of the table, flanked not by corporate attorneys, but by federal investigators. To his right sat Clara Sterling—no longer wearing the faded vintage pink dress, but a sharply tailored charcoal-gray Armani pantsuit that commanded instant authority. Her dark hair fell in sleek waves down her back, and her eyes possessed an unyielding, glacial intelligence that mirrored her grandfather's.
"Let’s dispense with the pleasantries," Clara said, her voice clear, calm, and carrying an effortless resonance that silenced the nervous murmurs around the table. She opened a thick dossier embossed with the Vance Global seal and slid copies toward the chief financial officer. "Over the past forty-eight hours, forensic accountants have uncovered over forty million dollars in corporate funds diverted through shell companies controlled by Victoria Vance and her associates. Furthermore, every contract signed under Natalie’s executive tenure is legally void due to identity fraud."
The CFO, a man named Henderson who had served as Natalie’s chief enabler, swallowed hard, his throat bobbing nervously. "Miss... Miss Sterling, surely we can restructure. The markets—the shareholders will panic if we initiate mass terminations—"
"Let them panic," Arthur interrupted, slamming his palm against the mahogany table with a force that made the crystal water pitchers rattle. "Panic clears out the corruption. For too long, this company has been run like a high school clique fueled by narcissism and crime. My granddaughter has returned from the dead, and she is sweeping the floor clean."
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Clara leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her piercing blue eyes sweeping across the terrified faces of the executives. "Here is how this works," she continued smoothly. "You have two choices. You can resign effective immediately, surrender your stock options, and cooperate fully with federal prosecutors... or you can join Natalie and her mother in federal custody before the clock strikes midnight."
Within three minutes, four resignation letters were signed, witnessed, and sealed. The old guard of corruption was dismantled in less time than it took to brew a cup of coffee.
