Chapter 26 - The Fall of Apex
Monday morning arrived with the chaotic, electric energy of an impending storm. I sat in my office, watching the live feeds of the financial news networks. Jonathan stood beside me, sipping his coffee, his eyes glued to the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen.
At exactly 9:30 AM, the news broke.
The headline flashed in bold, red letters across the monitor: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES MASSIVE FRAUD INVESTIGATION INTO APEX BIOGEN; CEO RICHARD STERLING SUBPOENAED.
The impact was instantaneous and catastrophic. Within twenty minutes, Apex BioGen’s stock went into a freefall, plummeting thirty percent as panicked investors dumped their shares. The DoD publicly announced a suspension of all active contracts pending the investigation.
My secure phone rang. It was an unrecognized number. I picked it up, pressing the speaker button.
"You absolute, vindictive bitch," Richard Sterling’s voice roared through the speaker, frantic and dripping with rage. "You handed internal communications to the feds! You are destroying my company!"
"Good morning, Richard," I replied, my voice perfectly calm and devoid of any emotion. "I simply fulfilled my legal obligation as the Chairwoman of a transparent corporation. I found historical evidence of fraud, and I reported it."
"You did this because I shorted your stock!" he screamed. "I will sue you for everything you have!"
"You don't have the capital to sue me, Richard," I stated coldly. "Your assets are going to be frozen by the end of the day. Furthermore, your shell company in the Caymans is bleeding cash on those short positions now that Vale Medical's stock is surging in the wake of your collapse."
He fell silent, the heavy, suffocating realization of his total ruin finally settling in.
"You thought I was weak because I am a woman who survived a scandal," I continued, my voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "You thought you could bully me. Let this be a permanent lesson. If you ever attempt to threaten my company again, I will not just destroy your business; I will ensure you share a cell block with Grant. Withdraw your short positions. Now."
I hung up the phone. Jonathan looked at me, an expression of profound respect on his face.
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"The short positions are being dissolved," Jonathan noted, checking his tablet a few minutes later. "He is liquidating his hold on our distributors."
"The board is clear," I smiled, turning back to my desk. "Let's get back to work."
