Chapter 9
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The next morning, Marcus arranged to meet David at an inconspicuous coffee shop on the outskirts of the city, far away from the glittering skyscrapers of the financial district. The rain was pouring down in heavy, gray sheets, masking the identities of the patrons huddled inside.
Marcus sat in a corner booth, wearing a dark trench coat and a baseball cap pulled low over his face. He watched as David walked in, shaking the water from his umbrella. David looked older than his fifty years, the stress of managing the volatile board evident in the deep lines around his eyes.
"You look well, Marcus," David said, sliding into the booth opposite him and ordering a black coffee. "Domestic life suits you."
"It does," Marcus replied smoothly. "But let’s skip the pleasantries, David. Tell me exactly what Julian is planning."
David leaned forward, lowering his voice so that only Marcus could hear. "He has hired a team of forensic accountants to tear through your personal expenses over the last five years. He is trying to prove that you commingled company funds with your private accounts during the Rossi crisis."
"That’s absurd. Every dime I spent managing that crisis came from my personal trust," Marcus countered, his eyes narrowing into cold slits.
"I know that, and you know that," David sighed. "But Julian is fabricating a narrative. He has also been having closed-door meetings with Elaine Parker’s old legal team. I think he is trying to find a way to offer her a reduced sentence in exchange for a fabricated testimony against you."
Marcus felt a surge of pure, unadulterated anger. Elaine Parker was the woman who had betrayed Khloe, the woman who had almost cost Maya her life.
"If Julian goes near Elaine, he crosses a line he cannot uncross," Marcus said, his voice deadly quiet.
"He is desperate, Marcus. The company’s stock has plateaued since you left. The shareholders are getting restless, and Julian needs a scapegoat to justify his impending restructuring plan. You are the perfect target."
"What is his ultimate endgame?" Marcus asked.
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"He wants the board to invoke the Morality Clause in the founder’s charter. If he can prove you are a moral or financial liability, he can force a hostile buyout of your shares at a fraction of their worth. He will own Thorne Industries outright."
Marcus took a slow sip of his coffee. "Let him try. Julian is about to learn why I was the one who built the empire, and he was just the one holding my briefcase."
