Chapter 7 - Confrontation in the High Tower
At 9:00 AM on Thursday, Ethan called an extraordinary general meeting of the Board of Directors.
Julian Vance and Arthur Pendelton sat smugly at the far end of the room, believing Ethan’s hands were tied by shareholder interests.
Ethan stood at the podium. Instead of reading the quarterly earnings slides, he projected bank records and deleted emails onto the giant screen behind him.
"These are the off-shore accounts of Arthur Pendelton," Ethan announced calmly into the microphone. "And these are the signed safety exemptions authorized by Julian Vance."
Gasps echoed across the room.
Pendelton turned white as paper. Julian Vance stood up, shouting, "This is absurd! You are destroying this company!"
"No," Ethan replied, his voice ringing with absolute authority. "I am cleansing it."
Ethan motioned to the back of the room. Two officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation walked in, accompanied by state prosecutors.
"Arthur Pendelton, you are under arrest for corporate fraud, manslaughter, and embezzlement," the lead agent declared, placing hand-cuffs on the screaming director.
Julian Vance collapsed into his chair, realizing that his thirty-year career had ended in disgrace.
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Ethan looked at the remaining board members. "Effective immediately, Mercer Atlantic will suspend operations at all non-compliant facilities for full safety revamps. We will create a $100 million independent trust for worker safety and family compensation."
The room erupted into chaos, but Ethan simply turned and walked out, his heart lighter than it had been in six years.
