Chapter 5 - Stripped of Power
The boardroom descended into absolute chaos.
Arthur Sterling slammed his heavy hand onto the mahogany table, his face red with outrage as he pointed at Adrian. "You brought a corporate mistress to Napa on the company's dime while Henry's daughter was in emergency surgery?!"
"Arthur, listen to me!" Adrian shouted, standing up so fast his chair crashed backward onto the carpet. "It’s a frame-job! Claire altered the audit documents! She’s trying to destroy me because of a personal marital dispute!"
"The audit was performed by Deloitte & Touche, Adrian," I said calmly, opening my own folder. "Certified by three independent forensic accountants. And as the fifty-two percent majority shareholder of this corporation, I no longer require the board’s consensus to exercise my authority."
I picked up a pen, signed the bottom line of the resolution paper, and pushed it across the table to the corporate secretary.
"Effective immediately," I announced, "Adrian Vale is removed from his position as Chief Executive Officer of Vale Meridian. His corporate access cards are revoked, his company accounts are frozen, and he is banned from entering any corporate property worldwide."
"You can't do this to me!" Adrian screamed, his voice cracking with pure, unadulterated terror. "I am the face of this brand! Without me, the stock drops twenty percent by market close!"
"The stock dropped four percent when news of your Napa trip leaked to the Wall Street Journal thirty minutes ago, Adrian," I replied coldly. "And it will recover the moment the public realizes the Meridian family has reclaimed control."
I looked over at the two private security guards standing at the back door.
"Escort Mr. Vale and Miss Marr off the premises immediately," I ordered. "If they refuse to leave, file formal charges for criminal trespass."
The two large guards stepped forward, pulling out pair of white security wrist cuffs.
Celeste burst into tears, grabbing her designer bag and sprinting out of the boardroom into the hallway to avoid the security team.
Adrian backed away toward the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, looking around the table at the twelve board members who had once bowed to his every command. Every single one of them turned their backs on him, looking down at their audit reports in cold silence.
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"Claire... please," Adrian wept, his voice dropping into a desperate, pitiful whine as the guards grabbed him by his arms. "Don't do this to me! Look at me! We lost Daniel! We need to grieve together! Please!"
"My son's name was Daniel Meridian," I said, standing up from the table, my voice dropping into a quiet, chilling whisper. "And you don't ever get to speak his name again."
