Chapter 18 - The Usurper Unmasked
Derek desperately gripped the edges of the podium, his knuckles turning stark white. His panic overrode his logic, and he lunged for the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm!" Derek shouted into the mic, his voice echoing shrilly over the speakers. "This woman is currently under intense psychiatric care! She is deeply unwell and experiencing a severe delusion! Security, please remove her from the premises immediately!"
Two massive, suited hotel security guards stepped forward from the aisles, moving to intercept me.
"No," a powerful, commanding voice rang out from the front row.
The chairman of Halcyon Development, a notoriously ruthless businessman who did not tolerate public scandals, stood up from his VIP seat and immediately stepped away from the stage, creating physical distance between himself and Derek.
Elena Ruiz stepped forward, effortlessly bypassing the confused security guards, and firmly handed the Halcyon chairman a thick, court-stamped document.
I stopped walking just a few feet below the elevated stage, staring directly up into Derek’s terrified eyes.
"You just proudly announced a massive corporate sale that you have absolutely no legal authority to make, Derek," I stated, my voice projecting clearly without the need for a microphone.
"I am the acting CEO of this corporation!" Derek snapped back, sweat visibly beading on his forehead as he tried to maintain his illusion of power.
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"You were merely acting," I corrected him, my voice slicing through the silent ballroom like a scalpel. "You were never the owner."
Elena turned to the audiovisual technician at the back of the room and handed him a USB drive. A second later, the massive digital screens flanking the stage flickered to life. The forged voting transfer documents disappeared, replaced by the original probate documents from my father’s will.
