Chapter 6 - The Boardroom of Traitors
The executive boardroom on the top floor of the Mayfair skyscraper smelled of rich mahogany, expensive cigars, and betrayal.
Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the rainy skyline of London glittered like a sea of grey diamonds. Sitting around the forty-foot marble table were twelve of the most powerful investors in Europe.
At the head of the table stood Julian Vance.
He was thirty-four, impeccably groomed, wearing a double-breasted grey suit, a champagne glass held loosely in his hand. He radiated the smug, triumphant arrogance of a man who believed he had just pulled off the heist of the century.
"Gentlemen," Julian announced, his voice smooth and polished. "The evidence is indisputable. Alexander Roses has fled his fiduciary duties. He abandoned the Tokyo deal, causing our company to lose four hundred million pounds in market valuation in a single afternoon."
The board members murmured in angry agreement.
"As Executive Vice President," Julian continued, tapping a thick stack of legal documents on the table, "I am invoking Emergency Protocol 9. I move to strip Alexander Roses of his CEO title and transfer his executive voting shares to a management committee... headed by myself."
An elderly director raised his hand. "Julian, Alexander built this firm from the dirt. Has anyone actually spoken to him? Where is he?"
"He’s hiding, Arthur," Julian lied smoothly, a cold smirk touching his lips. "Probably on a private jet to a non-extradition country. He’s finished. Sign the paper, and by tomorrow morning, our stock will stabilize under my leadership."
Julian picked up an expensive gold fountain pen and held it out to the lead director.
DING.
The private executive elevator behind the boardroom doors chimed softly.
Julian’s brow furrowed. "What's that? I locked the elevator down."
The heavy double oak doors of the boardroom suddenly burst open!
Two private security guards Julian had posted outside flew backward into the room, crashing across the marble floor, their radios skittering under the table!
Through the doorway walked Alexander Roses.
He was drenched in rainwater. His dark suit carried traces of road mud and blood across the knuckles. But his posture was that of a king returning to execute a rebellious court.
Cradled securely in his left arm, tucked safely against his chest, was a ten-week-old tan-and-white puppy.
The room went dead, suffocatingly silent.
Board members gasped, dropping their pens. Julian Vance turned as pale as a corpse, his champagne glass slipping from his fingers and shattering into a hundred pieces on the hardwood floor.
"Al... Alexander?" Julian stammered, his voice squeaking like a frightened child's. "You... how are you here?"
Alexander walked into the room with slow, deliberate steps. Every eye was locked on him. The contrast between his lethal, blood-stained appearance and the tiny, innocent puppy held gently in his arm was mind-bending.
"You look disappointed, Julian," Alexander said smoothly, stopping at the foot of the long marble table. "Did you think Keller was going to stop me?"
At the mention of Keller’s name, Julian’s knees buckled. He had to grab the edge of the table to keep from collapsing.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Director Arthur demanded, standing up. "Alexander! Where have you been? Tokyo collapsed!"
Alexander didn't look at Arthur. His dark, burning eyes remained fixed on Julian.
"I missed Tokyo because I was saving a life, Arthur," Alexander said quietly. "A life that was left to die in a gutter. Much like the way Julian tried to leave this company."
"He's lying!" Julian shrieked, panic breaking through his polished facade. "He's insane! Look at him! He walked in here with a stray dog! He's lost his mind! Security! Escort him out!"
No security came.
Instead, Marcus Vance and four of Alexander's loyal bodyguards stepped into the room, shutting the doors behind them and locking them from the inside.
Alexander set the tan puppy gently down on the marble boardroom table. The puppy sat upright, its ears perked, looking down at the twelve terrified billionaires with absolute calm.
Alexander pulled a small silver USB drive from his pocket and tossed it onto the center of the table.
"On that drive," Alexander announced, "are the recorded phone calls between Julian Vance and the Tokyo takeover board from three weeks ago. It details the falsified audit, the media leaks, and the two million pounds Julian was paid to sabotage our merger."
The directors gasped, turning their eyes to Julian in horror.
"It's... it's a fake!" Julian screamed, backing away toward the windows. "He forged it!"
Alexander reached down into his coat, pulled out his phone, and tapped the screen once.
A video played on the massive presentation screen behind the table. It showed Julian standing in a parking garage two days ago, handing a thick envelope of cash to Keller, explicitly ordering him to "make sure Alexander never leaves Manchester."
The room erupted into furious shouting!
"You traitor!" Director Arthur yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Julian. "You ruined our company!"
Julian looked around the room. He saw no allies. No escape. He sank into his leather executive chair, burying his face in his hands, weeping hysterically.
May you like
Alexander walked up to the head of the table. He reached out, picked up the gold fountain pen Julian had dropped, and placed it inside his inner jacket pocket.
"The meeting is adjourned," Alexander said softly. "Marcus, call the police. Have Mr. Vance removed from my building."
