Chapter 4 - MONDAY MORNING EXECUTION
At 8:45 AM, I walked through the grand glass doors of Vanguard Development. I wasn't wearing an apron or carrying a serving tray. I wore a tailored charcoal-white designer pantsuit, heels that clicked sharply against the marble floor, and dark sunglasses hiding the fatigue around my eyes. My right hand was wrapped neatly in professional medical gauze, resting subtly inside my jacket pocket.
The receptionist gasped, half-rising from her desk. “Mrs. Vance? I—I didn't know you were coming in today. Mr. Vance is already in the executive boardroom preparing for the municipal contract presentation.”
“I know,” I said smoothly, not breaking stride. “And he’s going to need a new seat.”
Security guards stepped forward instinctively, but before they could block the elevators, Marcus Vance stepped out of the private lift with a thick leather briefcase. His expression was grim, professional, and entirely transactional.
“Elena,” Marcus said, nodding respectfully. “I received your encrypted file late last night. My legal team audited the trust documents. You hold fifty-eight percent of the voting shares, and the corporate bylaws explicitly grant the majority shareholder immediate emergency executive control in cases of criminal misconduct by the CEO.”
“Is it ironclad, Marcus?” I asked, stopping right in front of him.
“It’s a fortress,” Marcus replied, holding up a fresh corporate resolution document. “Ivan has been systematically siphoning development funds into an unregistered personal account for over a year. Combined with the assault footage from your residence yesterday, the board has grounds for immediate termination without severance.”
“Let’s go end his career,” I said.
May you like
We strode down the executive hallway, the heavy oak doors of the boardroom looming ahead. Inside, muffled voices and laughter echoed through the wood. Ivan was in his element, charming the city council representatives before the big vote.
I didn’t even bother knocking. I pushed the double doors wide open.
