Chapter 5 - The Grand Boardroom
The next morning, the grand boardroom of Thornton Enterprises was packed.
The twelve members of the executive board, along with Vivian Thornton, sat around the massive mahogany table. Jason stood at the head, looking immaculate in a charcoal suit, a smug, victorious smile on his face as he prepared to sign the transition documents.
"As of midnight tonight," Jason announced, holding up the gold fountain pen, "my cousin Ethan reaches his thirtieth birthday. Since he remains medically incapacitated and unable to fulfill his executive duties, the default clause of the family trust will activate, transferring full control of Thornton Enterprises to me."
"I'm afraid there's been a change of plans, Jason," a cold, clear voice interrupted from the doorway.
The boardroom doors swung open.
I walked in, wearing a sharp, tailored black suit that my father had bought with his first "allowance" from the Thorntons. Behind me walked Arthur Vance, the state’s most prestigious white-collar crime defense attorney, and four uniform officers from the state police department.
"Claire?" Jason laughed, a condescending sneer on his lips. "What are you doing here? This is a private corporate matter. Security, escort my cousin's wife out."
"No one is moving, Jason," Vivian Thornton said, her sharp eyes narrowing as she looked at me, then at the attorney beside me. "Claire, what is the meaning of this?"
"The meaning, Vivian, is that your grandson didn't suffer an accident nine months ago," I said, walking to the table and sliding the encrypted hard drive across the polished wood. "He was poisoned. And the people responsible are currently in this building."
"This is insane!" Jason shouted, his face turning a dark, furious red. "She’s a gold-digger! She's trying to stall the transition to extort money!"
"The hard drive contains the chemical purchasing records from Chloe’s private accounts, funded entirely by a shell company registered to you, Jason," Arthur Vance stated, stepping forward. "It also contains the audio recording of your phone call last night, authorizing an increased dosage of digitalis to ensure Ethan's 'cumulative organ failure' before his birthday."
Vivian stood up, her regal posture suddenly shaking as she looked at her grandson. "Jason... is this true?"
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"It's a lie!" Jason roared, reaching into his coat pocket. "I'll sue you into the ground!"
"You won't be suing anyone, Jason," I said, stepping back as the police officers moved in. "Because the victim of your attempted murder is currently downstairs in a secure ambulance, fully conscious, and ready to testify."
