Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Coup
While Robert was in the hospital waiting for his son to wake up, the corporate shark tank was circling his blood.
At 4:00 PM, Vincent Porter called his personal mobile.
"Robert," Vincent said, his voice unusually clipped. "You need to come back to the office immediately."
"My son was poisoned, Vincent," Robert spat back. "The deal can wait."
"It isn't waiting," Vincent replied quietly. "Richard Klein just executed an emergency hostile tender offer. He’s claiming that your sudden departure without explanation proved you are mentally unfit and incapable of executive leadership. The board is holding a vote right now to strip you of your Chairman status."
Robert stared at the hospital floor. Richard Klein—the owner of Klein Systems—was the man Robert was supposed to buy out today.
"They're taking advantage of a family emergency," Robert realized aloud.
"It’s worse than that," Vincent whispered, stepping into a quiet stairwell. "Klein knew you left before the press even heard about it. Someone inside this building tipped him off within two minutes of your exit. Someone knew Parker was in the hospital."
A chill ran down Robert’s spine. The chemical compound in Parker’s system. The timing of the faint—five minutes before the ten-billion-dollar deal was sealed. The mysterious call.
It wasn't an accident. Parker hadn't just fainted. He had been targeted to pull Robert away from the negotiation room.
"Vincent," Robert commanded, his eyes blazing with vengeance. "Delay the vote by any legal maneuver you have. I’m coming back to the tower. But first, I have to ensure my son is guarded like a vault."
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Robert hired four armed off-duty federal marshals to guard Parker’s hospital door 24/7. He arranged for Maya and her mother, Elena, to be immediately moved from the shelter into a high-security suite at the Plaza Hotel under his personal account.
Then, putting on his blood-stained navy jacket, Robert Blackwell returned to Midtown. He was no longer just a businessman closing a deal. He was a father whose child had been touched by monsters.
