Chapter 6 - Clearing the Boardroom
Panic erupted in the boardroom instantly. Shouting matches broke out as board members scrambled to check their tablets, realizing too late that the legal documents Maya presented were ironclad and legally binding.
Jonathan slammed his hands on the table, his face purple with rage. "You can't just fire us! You have no experience running a multi-billion-dollar enterprise! You’re just a—"
"A waitress?" Maya finished for him, raising an eyebrow with cold amusement. "Is that what you were going to say, Jonathan? Remind me, how many billions of dollars did you misappropriate from the subsidiary accounts last quarter to fund your offshore accounts? Because forensic accountants reviewed your ledger at 4:00 AM this morning, and the federal indictments are already on their way to the FBI."
Jonathan choked on his own breath, sinking back into his leather chair as the reality of his prison sentence crashed down upon him.
Julian stood behind Maya’s chair, watching the boardroom crumble with quiet satisfaction. "Shall I call federal marshals to escort the remaining dissenting members out, Ms. Sterling?"
"Please do, Julian," Maya replied calmly.
Within twenty minutes, the boardroom was cleared of the corrupt executives. Only Maya, Julian, Evelyn, and a handful of loyal senior analysts remained.
As the dust settled, Maya let out a long, slow breath, leaning back in her chair. The adrenaline that had sustained her through the hostile takeover began to recede, leaving behind the stark reality of everything she had endured over the past forty-eight hours.
Julian noticed the slight tremor in her hands. He walked over to the side bar, poured a glass of sparkling water, and placed it gently beside her hand.
"You handled that like a veteran CEO," Julian said softly, his voice losing its corporate edge and softening into genuine warmth.
Maya looked up at him, a faint, tired smile touching her lips. "Thank you, Julian. For everything. If you hadn't stopped at the gate... if you hadn't sent Thomas..."
"I didn't do it out of charity," Julian interrupted gently, sitting in the chair next to hers. "I did it because I couldn't stand watching a remarkable woman be stepped on by a pathetic excuse of a man."
"Speaking of pathetic excuses," Maya said, her eyes darkening slightly, "I need to handle loose ends in Long Island. Specifically, a certain husband who thinks he’s untouchable."
May you like
Julian smiled, a dangerous, eager gleam returning to his grey eyes. "Consider it done. What would you like me to do with Richard Vance?"
"Bring him to me," Maya said quietly. "In my old house. Let him see what happens when you destroy the wrong person."
