Chapter 7 - The Boardroom Coup
The morning of the annual Vance International Board Meeting arrived under a tense, heavy atmosphere. The grand boardroom on the top floor was filled with fifteen of the world's most powerful institutional investors and board members, all sitting around a massive glass table.
Julian Vance sat at the head of the table, looking pale and nervous, but trying desperately to maintain an aura of arrogant confidence. He had spent the entire night scrambling to finalize his plans, realizing that his window of opportunity was closing fast.
Eleanor sat at the opposite end of the table, her face an unreadable mask of stoic authority, her chrome cane resting against her chair. Garrett stood directly behind her, dressed in a sharp, dark suit, his arms crossed, his eyes scanning the room like a hawk.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the board," Julian began, standing up and adjusting his tie. "Thank you for gathering on such short notice. As you know, Vance International has enjoyed unprecedented growth, but we must face a harsh reality. My aunt, Eleanor Vance, has given her life to this company. But recent events—including a public altercation in a rural diner and a total lapse in her personal security protocols—demonstrate that her health and mental acuity are rapidly declining. For the sake of our shareholders, I am officially calling for a vote of no confidence to remove Eleanor from the position of CEO and appoint myself as her successor."
A murmur of uneasy whispers rippled through the boardroom. Several board members looked uncomfortable, while others, who had been secretly bribed by Julian, nodded in agreement.
"Eleanor is a legend," one of the bribed board members spoke up. "But perhaps it is time for a younger, more modern leadership team to take the reins."
Julian smiled, thinking victory was within his grasp. "If there are no further objections, let us cast the votes—"
"I have an objection," Garrett’s voice boomed through the room, cutting through the corporate chatter with the sheer force of a military command.
Julian’s smile vanished, replaced by an expression of pure malice. "You are a security guard, Holloway! You have no standing, no voice, and absolutely no right to speak in this boardroom! Security, remove this man!"
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None of the guards at the door moved. They stood like statues, their loyalty completely belonging to Garrett.
"They don’t answer to you anymore, Julian," Garrett said calmly, stepping forward and placing a sleek metallic flash drive on the glass table. He pressed a button on the room’s main control panel, and the massive projection screens on the walls instantly came to life.
