Chapter 5 - The War Room
By ten o'clock that morning, the top floor of the Ashford Tower in the financial district had been converted into a high-tech command center.
Large glass walls overlooked the city, displaying real-time financial markets, corporate intelligence feeds, and legal tracking boards. Twelve senior partners from Ashford Global sat around a long black granite table, their laptops open, while Harrison Vance stood at the head of the room.
I sat at the center of the table, dressed in a sleek, tailored dark navy maternity suit, my hair pulled back into a tight, flawless knot. A small heart-rate monitor was tucked neatly into my jacket pocket, sending real-time health data to Dr. Aris at the hospital.
"Status report on Vale Development," I said, my voice calm, precise, and completely free of emotion.
Harrison tapped his tablet, projecting a massive organizational chart onto the glass wall.
"As of 9:01 AM, Vale Development failed to wire the five-million-dollar early interest installment to Aegis Capital," Harrison reported. "Per the loan agreement, Aegis has executed Clause 14-B. We have seized fifty-one percent of the voting shares of Vale Holdings, effectively stripping Victor Vale of his position as Chairman and removing Adrian Vale as CEO."
A small, satisfying wave of silence washed over the room.
"What is Victor doing right now?" I asked.
"He’s panicking," Naomi answered from her desk, pulling up a series of tapped communications. "He tried to call Arthur Vance to secure an emergency five-million-dollar bridge loan, but Arthur isn't answering his calls."
"Why isn't Arthur answering?"
"Because thirty minutes ago," Naomi smiled wickedly, "we leaked a brief ten-second clip of the baby shower incident to Arthur Vance’s primary institutional investors. The clip clearly shows Adrian bragging about dumping Arthur’s daughter Sienna the moment a richer prospect appears."
I tilted my head slightly. "Did Adrian really say that on the video?"
"He said it during the post-shower argument in the hallway while waiting for his valet," Naomi replied, tapping a key to play an audio file.
Adrian’s distinct, slurred voice played through the speakers: “Sienna’s father is an idiot. I’m only using her to secure the harbor docks. Once the venture is finalized, I’ll drop her just like I dropped Mara.”
I let out a soft laugh. "Poetic justice. Has Arthur seen it?"
"Arthur saw it, cancelled the harbor tower joint venture, pulled his two-hundred-million-dollar credit line, and ordered Sienna to pack her bags and return home immediately," Harrison confirmed.
"Good," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Now, let's address the criminal side."
"Adrian is currently sitting in a holding cell at the central precinct," Harrison said. "His defense team filed three emergency bail motions, claiming he is a high-profile executive and not a flight risk. Judge Rebecca Vance—no relation—is presiding over the bail hearing at two o'clock."
"Judge Vance is known for being brutally tough on domestic abusers," I noted. "Who is representing Adrian?"
"Marcus Sterling—the most expensive defense attorney money can buy in this state," Harrison replied. "Sterling is planning to argue that you provoked the confrontation, that you have a history of emotional instability, and that the physical contact was an accidental stumble during a heated argument."
I looked at Naomi. "Deploy the full video."
Naomi paused, her fingers hovering over the enter key. "The full forty-five-minute uncut recording from the shower? Including the applause from Victor and Celeste?"
"Every single second," I ordered. "Send it to the Attorney General, send it to the presiding judge, and release it to every major news outlet in the country simultaneously. Let the public see the true face of the Vale family."
"And what about the company board meeting scheduled for three o'clock?" Harrison asked.
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I stood up from the granite table, smoothing the front of my jacket over my bump. I felt a strong, steady kick from my daughter—a reminder of why I was standing in this room.
"At three o'clock," I said, my eyes blazing with cold determination, "I will walk into the board room of Vale Holdings as its new controlling owner. And I will personally deliver the pink slips to every single member of that family."
