Chapter 4 - THE BOARDROOM AMBUSH
At 10:00 a.m., the glass tower of Parker Tech Headquarters was surrounded by news vans, reporters, and protesters. The board of directors had convened an emergency vote on the 50th floor to remove Ethan as CEO and appoint Olivia’s proxy, pending her bail hearing.
Inside the executive boardroom, fifteen of the most powerful investors in the tech industry sat around an oval marble table. At the head of the table sat Richard Hale, Olivia’s father—a ruthless elder statesman of corporate law who had operated in the shadows for decades.
"Ethan Parker is a liability," Richard declared, his voice smooth and cold. "His personal life has breached the threshold of corporate stability. Our stock has dropped fourteen percent since the wedding footage leaked. We vote today to strip his voting rights and appoint interim management."
"I wouldn't call the vote just yet, Richard," a voice echoed from the heavy double doors.
The doors swung open. Ethan Parker walked in.
He wasn't wearing his usual tailor-made suit. He wore a simple black sweater, dark jeans, and rolled-up sleeves—the exact outfit he used to wear when he was an engineer building the core algorithms of Parker Tech. Behind him walked Daniel Mercer and a team of federal agents.
"Ethan, you have no standing in this room while under investigation," Richard snapped, though a flicker of unease passed through his weathered eyes.
"I built every line of code this company runs on, Richard," Ethan said calmly, walking to the head of the table and placing a black hardware key onto the marble surface. "And more importantly, I built the security architecture."
Ethan tapped the table’s central screen, overriding the room's display. Images flooded the wall-mounted monitors: bank statements, offshore wire transfers, and encrypted communications between Richard Hale, Olivia, and a shadowy pharmaceutical research firm in Switzerland.
"For eight years, I thought Olivia was my savior," Ethan spoke to the silent board members. "I thought she saved this company. But last night, my legal team decoded the raw databases from Victor Hale’s servers. Richard, you didn't just help Olivia isolate me. You used your pharmaceutical connections to test a neurological memory-suppression compound on me—a drug your firm was secretly developing for military contracts."
The room erupted into shocked whispers. Board members sat back, staring at Richard Hale in horror.
"This is absurd fiction!" Richard shouted, standing up. "Security, escort these people out!"
May you like
"The security team outside works for the Department of Justice now, Richard," Daniel announced, pulling a signed federal warrant from his jacket. "Richard Hale, you are under arrest for illegal human experimentation, corporate fraud, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping."
Ethan leaned across the table, looking directly into the eyes of the man who had helped erase his life. "Tell Olivia that the contract is broken. And tell her I'm coming for everything she built."
