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THE FIVE-MINUTE ULTIMATUM 💇‍♀️⚡ / Chapter 3 / 10

Chapter 3 - The Encrypted Dossier“She took the locket,” I whispered, my eyes burning with realization.

“They needed the physical key to unlock the secondary offshore accounts in Zurich,” Arthur explained, pulling a tablet from his briefcase. “Grant thought he was using Vanessa to siphon funds away from you, but Vanessa and her father were using Grant to liquidate your family's founding trust!”

My phone buzzed violently in my hand again. It was Grant, calling for the sixth time.

I slid the button and placed the call on speaker.

“Claire!” Grant screamed over the line, his voice echoing with unbridled hysteria and background sirens. “What did you do?! Federal agents just walked into the executive board meeting! They're freezing every corporate account! Are you insane?!”

“I told you you had five minutes, Grant,” I said softly.

“I was trying to protect you!” Grant lied frantically. “Vanessa threatened to release those financial documents if I didn't give her board access! She took your locket!”

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“She took the locket because you gave her the security code to my recovery room, Grant,” I replied, my voice dropping into an icy, unshakeable register. “You sold my safety for your own greed. Enjoy the board meeting. It's your last one.”

I disconnected the call and looked at Arthur. “Call Detective Vance at the Financial Crimes Division. Tell him we're executing the Founder's Override Clause.”

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Chapter 4 - The Boardroom PanicAt 2:30 PM, the top floor of Sterling Tower in downtown Manhattan was in total chaos.
Chapter 5 - The Seizure of Sterling CorpThe board chairman picked up the document, his eyes scanning the original 1995 charter signed by my late father.
Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of VanessaWhile Grant was being led away, federal agents executed a simultaneous search warrant at a luxury penthouse in Soho belonging to Vanessa Cole.
Chapter 7 - The Secret Founder's ClauseWith Grant in federal custody and Vanessa facing life imprisonment, the executive board held an emergency vote that evening.
Chapter 8 - Cracks in the Arrogant CEOThree months after the boardroom arrest, Grant sat in a federal detention cell awaiting trial.
Chapter 9 - The Handcuff VerdictSix months later, the criminal trial of United States v. Grant Sterling and Vanessa Cole concluded at the Federal District Court.

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