Chapter 12 - The Fall of the Traitors
|
Within minutes, federal agents flooded the boardroom.
Charles Vance fell to his knees, sobbing hysterically as handcuffs were clicked around his wrists. Marcus Sterling tried to sprint toward the private exit, but Sal’s men tackled him to the floor, pinning his face against the carpet.
Senator Hayes sat frozen in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling as agents read him his rights.
As they dragged the three men past me toward the elevators, Charles looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "Victoria... please! I'm your family! Your father would have forgiven me!"
I looked down at him without a shred of pity in my heart. "My father was a merciful man, Charles. I am my mother's daughter."
Once the room was cleared of traitors and police, the remaining honest board members sat in utter silence, staring at me with a mixture of profound awe and absolute terror.
I walked over to the head chair—my father's chair—and slowly sat down.
Sal stepped up to my side, placing a fresh stack of legal documents before me.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I announced, my voice carrying total authority throughout the room. "Effective immediately, I am assuming total control of Vance Enterprises as Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer. Anyone who wishes to resign may leave the room now."
Not a single person moved.
"Good," I continued, signing my name in bold, flowing cursive across the executive charter. "Our first order of business is the total destruction of Kensington Holdings. I want every stock shorted, every asset seized, and every contract canceled by noon today."
May you like
"Consider it done, Chairwoman," the head trader replied instantly, rushing out of the room to execute the order.
I turned my chair toward the floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking out over the vast Manhattan skyline. I had reclaimed my family's empire, but my work was far from finished.
