Chapter 28 - A Fading Light
The victory at the charity gala was deeply overshadowed by a devastating phone call at three in the morning. Emma was asleep in her small apartment when the private nurse attending to Margaret Lawson called in a complete panic. Margaret had collapsed in the penthouse suite, her breathing shallow and erratic.
Emma arrived at the city’s premier private hospital just as the sun began to rise over the skyline. Daniel was already there, pacing the sterile white waiting room with a cup of untouched coffee in his hand.
"How is she?" Emma asked, rushing to his side.
"It’s a severe stroke," Daniel said, his voice thick with emotion. "The doctors have stabilized her, but she is completely unconscious, Emma. She’s on life support. They don't know if she will ever wake up."
Emma collapsed into a plastic waiting room chair, burying her face in her hands. Margaret wasn't just her boss; she was the mentor who had seen a brilliant spark in a frightened cleaner and had given her the keys to an empire. The thought of losing her was agonizing.
"The board of directors knows," Daniel added quietly, sitting beside her. "Richard Vance’s assistant called me ten minutes ago. They are officially convening the emergency shareholder meeting in three hours. With Margaret in a coma, she obviously cannot attend or pass a cognitive test. Clause 8A will be executed immediately. They are going to seize her shares and sign the Vanguard acquisition papers by noon."
Emma looked up, her eyes red but suddenly blazing with a fierce, uncompromising fire. "We caught Julian destroying the hotel on Victor Sterling's orders. We have his confession."
"I took the evidence to Richard Vance," Daniel sighed bitterly. "He didn't care, Emma. Richard said that Julian was a rogue actor and that Vanguard’s two-billion-dollar offer remains valid. The board is blinded by the money. They don't care about ethics, they don't care about sabotage, and they certainly don't care about Margaret’s legacy. They are going to sell."
Emma stood up, looking through the glass window into the Intensive Care Unit where Margaret lay silently hooked to a dozen machines.
"They only care about money," Emma whispered, a dangerous, brilliant realization forming in her mind. "If ethics can't stop the sale, then we have to attack the money. Vanguard is offering two billion dollars in liquid cash. Daniel, nobody keeps two billion dollars in liquid cash just sitting in an escrow account. Where is Victor Sterling getting the funding for this buyout?"
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"I don't know," Daniel admitted.
"Then we have exactly three hours to find out," Emma said, turning away from the ICU. "Let's go hunt."
