Chapter 4: The Boardroom Battle
The executive boardroom on the top floor of Cole Tower was a wall of tension. Twelve board members sat around a glass table, their faces grim as they stared at their tablets. The headlines were already flashing across the financial news networks: COLE FREIGHT CEO FACES FRAUD ALLEGATIONS; STOCK PLUMMETS 15%.
At the head of the table sat Arthur Ashford—Vivien’s billionaire father. He looked smug, his hands folded over his gold-headed cane.
Ethan walked into the room, wearing a simple, tailored navy suit. He didn't look tired. He looked dangerous.
"Ethan," Arthur Ashford said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "It's a tragedy. A man from your... humble beginnings getting greedy. The board feels that for the safety of the company, you should sign this voluntary resignation contract. We will handle the fallout."
Ethan didn't sit down. He stood at the head of the table, looking at the board members he had hand-picked, men and women who had grown rich off his vision.
"Arthur, you and your daughter have a habit of assuming I’m stupid just because I don't use a salad fork correctly," Ethan said, a cold smile touching his lips. "Did you really think I didn't know you were shorting my stock last night before the article even went live?"
Arthur’s smug expression flickered. "That's standard market protection—"
"That’s insider trading and corporate sabotage," Ethan barked, slamming a thick leather folder onto the center of the glass table. "Inside that folder are the digital footprints of the Ashford Group's private server hacking into our logistics database to plant those fake manifests. My security team caught the breach at 3:00 AM."
The board members immediately reached for the folder, rifling through the encrypted data logs. Gasps filled the room.
"Furthermore," Ethan continued, turning his gaze to the rest of the board. "I have just purchased the remaining shares of Cole Freight held by the public using my own personal capital. I now own fifty-one percent of this empire. You can't vote me out, Arthur. But I can vote you off this board."
Ethan pointed toward the heavy glass doors. Two federal agents stepped into the room.
"Arthur Ashford, you are under arrest for corporate espionage and market manipulation," the lead agent said, stepping forward with handcuffs.
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Arthur stood up, his cane clattering to the floor as his face turned white. He looked at Ethan with pure hatred as the agents led him away in front of his own peers.
The remaining board members sat in stunned silence. Ethan took his seat at the head of the table, leaning back comfortably. "Now that the trash has been cleared out... let's get back to work."
