Chapter 3 - The Boardroom HostageBy 8:00 AM, the news of Vanessa’s cruelty had gone viral across every social media platform. The hashtag #JusticeForSorrel dominated the trends, but Hadrian didn't care about the internet's outrage. His daughter was in the hands of monsters, and his dead wife’s ghost was orchestrating the fallen kingdom.
Hadrian walked into the glass tower of Vance International’s global headquarters wearing a blood-stained shirt beneath his charcoal suit. The board members, gathered for an emergency meeting regarding the stock plunge caused by the scandal, went dead silent as he entered.
At the head of the long conference table sat Richard Sterling—Vanessa’s father and the lead shareholder pushing for a hostile takeover.
"Hadrian, you look unhinged," Richard said coolly, sipping his espresso. "We’ve seen the video. It’s an unfortunate domestic dispute, but your aggressive retaliation has wiped two billion dollars off our market cap in three hours. We are voting to remove you as CEO."
Hadrian slowly walked to the end of the table, resting both hands flat on the polished glass.
"Where is she, Richard?"
"If you mean my daughter, Vanessa is currently preparing a lawsuit against you for physical assault," Richard sneered. "As for your little brat, perhaps if you spent less time traveling and more time parenting, you’d know where she—"
BANG.
Hadrian pulled his gun and buried the muzzle directly beneath Richard’s chin, lifting the older man slightly out of his executive chair. Several board members screamed; two scrambled toward the emergency exits, only to find Hadrian’s private security team locking the doors from the outside.
"Let’s skip the theater," Hadrian whispered, his voice dangerously low. "Vanessa took Sorrel. You orchestrated the kidnapping using the PMC team I blacklisted two years ago. Tell me where my daughter is, or I will paint this board room with your brain matter and take my chances with the jury."
Richard’s arrogance evaporated. Sweat broke out across his forehead, dripping onto the cold steel of the barrel pressed into his throat.
"I... I don't have her!" Richard gasped, his hands flying into the air. "It wasn't me, Hadrian! I swear to God! Vanessa went rogue after you threw that tray at her! She called them!"
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"Called who?"
"The Syndicate," Richard stammered, his eyes darting toward the security cameras in the corners of the room. "The people who took Helena! They promised Vanessa that if she broke Sorrel’s spirit, you’d hand over the master decryption keys to the naval defense network! Helena isn't a captive, Hadrian... she’s running them!"
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