Chapter 4 - Unholy Alliances
That evening, Damon left the estate under the cover of darkness, leaving a full tactical security team to guard Sylvie and the infants.
He drove into the heart of Manhattan, pulling up outside a private, exclusive club in Gramercy Park. Inside, sitting in a dimly lit corner booth, was a person Damon had considered his bitterest rival for a decade: Evelyn Reed, CEO of BioGlobe Dynamics.
Evelyn looked up from her scotch, an arch eyebrow raised. "The fallen king of pharma comes begging? I must be dreaming."
"I'm not begging, Evelyn," Damon said, sitting across from her without asking. "I'm offering you the deal of the century."
Evelyn sneered slightly. "You don't own Vexley anymore, Damon. Marcus Vance is liquidating your assets on Friday."
"Marcus Vance is liquidating the assets to sell them to Helios Capital for pennies on the dollar," Damon corrected her. "What you don't know is that Helios is backed by Arthur Montgomery. Once Arthur takes control of Vexley’s patents, he’s going to shelf BioGlobe’s flagship research using a frivolous patent infringement lawsuit he’s been preparing for six months."
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. She knew Arthur Montgomery’s reputation. "Do you have proof?"
Damon slid a encrypted flash drive across the polished oak table. "Everything is on there. Bank transfers, internal memos, and draft court filings. Arthur isn't just trying to destroy me—he's positioning himself to monopolize the entire northeast biotech corridor."
Evelyn picked up the drive, weighing it in her hand. "What do you want, Damon?"
"I want BioGlobe to execute a surprise counter-buyout of Vexley Pharmaceuticals stock tomorrow morning at opening bell," Damon said leaning forward. "I will proxy my remaining forty-two percent voting shares to you. Together, we will have fifty-one percent control. We fire Marcus Vance, strip Julian Sterling of his legal standing, and preserve the pediatric research pipeline."
Evelyn stared at him in disbelief. "You’re giving me voting control over your life's work?"
"I don't care about the company anymore, Evelyn," Damon said with absolute sincerity. "I care about the pediatric trial, and I care about keeping my family safe from Arthur Montgomery. You get the corporate glory. I get my life back."
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Evelyn studied his face for a long, quiet minute. She had fought Damon Vexley in courtrooms and boardrooms for ten years, knowing him as a ruthless shark. Seeing him now, driven by a raw, protective instinct for his family, she realized he was far more dangerous than he had ever been—and far more honorable.
She held out her hand. "We launch the counter-strike at 9:00 AM sharp."
