Chapter 15 - The Corporate War
The fight against Thomas Reed was a war of a different caliber.
He didn't make mistakes like Ethan.
He didn't get angry, he didn't threaten, and he didn't brag.
He operated through a complex web of corporate entities that seemed to defy the laws of economics.
But I had the ledger.
I had the list of every shell company, every bribe, and every illegal acquisition.
We began the attack on a Tuesday morning.
We didn't go to the news this time.
We went to the regulators.
We submitted the evidence of bribery to the SEC, the Department of Justice, and the state attorney general’s office.
Simultaneously, we initiated a hostile takeover of the companies that formed the backbone of Reed’s wealth.
It was a surgical strike.
By the end of the week, Reed’s holdings were under audit, his accounts were frozen, and his reputation was crumbling.
I sat in my office, watching the screens as the value of his companies plummeted.
My father entered, holding a glass of scotch.
"You're doing it," he said.
"I’m cleaning up the mess."
"Be careful, Emma."
"I am," I said, looking at the stock tickers. "I’m very careful."
The phone rang.
I looked at the caller ID.
"Thomas Reed."
"Answer it," my father said.
I pressed the speaker button.
"Hello, Thomas."
A silence.
Then a voice, smooth and chillingly familiar.
"Emma. You’re becoming quite a nuisance."
"And you’re becoming quite a liability."
"This isn't over," he said.
"It’s just beginning," I said.
I hung up.
May you like
My father smiled.
"Good."
