Chapter 7 - The Trap in the Boardroom
At 9:55 AM, the executive boardroom on the 80th floor of Vance Global Tower in Wall Street was filled with nervous tension.
The twenty-four members of the board sat around a massive oval conference table made of polished mahogany. At the head of the table sat Richard Sterling—a sixty-year-old man with slicked-back silver hair, cold blue eyes, and an expensive navy bespoke suit.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Sterling said, standing up and tapping his gold pen against a crystal glass. "As you know, our CEO Marcus Vance suffered a catastrophic family tragedy last night. His young son Ethan was involved in a tragic accident in Central Park and remains in intensive care. Marcus is understandably emotionally compromised and unable to perform his duties."
"That is a lie, Richard," a voice echoed from the heavy oak doors at the back of the room.
The doors swung open.
Marcus Vance stepped into the boardroom. He looked immaculate, dressed in a sharp black suit, his stance commanding and regal. But he wasn't alone.
Walking beside him, holding his left hand with quiet confidence, was Lily. She was washed, her dark curls brushed neatly, wearing a dark blue velvet dress and polished black shoes. Hanging around her neck was the gold three-petaled lily pendant, sparkling beneath the recessed chandelier lights.
Standing on Marcus’s right, supported by a sleek carbon-fiber walking crutch, was nine-year-old Ethan.
The board members gasped, several of them standing up in shock.
Richard Sterling’s face turned from smug satisfaction to a ghostly, sickly green. His eyes dropped to the small girl holding Marcus’s hand, then to the gold pendant resting against her dress.
"Impossible..." Sterling stammered, his hand shaking so violently he dropped his gold pen onto the table. "Clara’s child... died in Montauk..."
"You thought she died, Richard," Marcus said, his voice ringing through the silent boardroom like a death knell. "Just like you thought your thug successfully killed my son in Central Park yesterday after stealing his master security fob."
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"This is slander!" Sterling shouted, attempting to regain control. "Security! Remove these people! Marcus is having a psychotic break!"
"The security team outside works for federal law enforcement now, Richard," Marcus said coldly, signaling toward the doorway.
