Chapter 4 - The Uninvited Guest
|
The projection lights flickered across the frozen faces of the board members as every single head snapped toward the entrance of the boardroom.
Standing in the doorway was Leah Sutton.
I wasn't wearing the modest, muted tones Eleanor had always insisted I wear to company functions. I was dressed in a tailored, charcoal-gray pantsuit with a silk blouse the color of freshly spilled blood. My hair was pulled back into a tight, flawless bun, and my heels clicked against the polished hardwood with absolute precision.
Flanking me on my left was Arthur Vance. On my right stood Marcus Kane, the most terrifying senior litigation partner in the Pacific Northwest.
Julian’s face turned from bronze to ash in less than two seconds. “Leah? What... what are you doing here?”
Eleanor stormed forward, her face contorted in absolute rage. “How dare you force your way into a private corporate briefing! Security! Remove this woman immediately!”
Arthur Vance stepped forward, holding up a sleek leather document holder. “I suggest your security guards refrain from laying a finger on Miss Sutton, Eleanor. Unless, of course, Vanguard wishes to add physical assault charges to the civil and criminal complaints we filed with the State Attorney General forty-five minutes ago.”
The word criminal echoed off the glass walls like a gunshot.
The lead representative from Capital Horizon, a stern woman named Victoria Sterling, instantly stood up from her chair. “Arthur? What is the meaning of this? Why is legal counsel involved in a design presentation?”
“Because, Miss Sterling,” I said, walking down the center aisle toward the podium with absolute grace, “the design presentation you are currently watching is a fraudulent representation of stolen property.”
Mila stepped up behind her mother, trembling with sudden panic. “She’s lying! She’s just mad because Julian divorced her yesterday! She’s trying to ruin him!”
I didn't even look at Mila. I reached into my leather tote, pulled out a sleek silver thumb drive, and tossed it onto the podium directly in front of Julian.
“Plug it in, Julian,” I said, my voice dripping with icy composure. “Or should I have Mr. Kane display the files directly on the main server?”
May you like
Julian stared at the thumb drive as if it were a coiled rattlesnake. “Leah... please. We can discuss this in my private office. Don't do this here.”
“You had six years to talk to me in private, Julian,” I replied, stepping right next to him at the microphone. “Today, we talk in front of your investors.”
