Chapter 6 - SABOTAGE
The following evening was the annual Lawson Atlantic Charity Gala, a highly publicized event meant to secure investor confidence. Thomas had no desire to go, wanting to stay by Elise’s side, but the hospital had discharged her that morning with strict orders for bed rest, and Clare insisted on staying home to care for her.
"Go," Clare had told him, adjusting his tuxedo lapel. "Show them you are still the king of this city. We will be fine."
The gala was held in the grand ballroom of a luxury hotel Thomas had designed. Crystal chandeliers sparkled, champagne flowed, and the city's elite mingled in their finest attire.
But the atmosphere was poisoned.
As Thomas walked through the crowd, conversations stopped. He caught the whispers, the sideways glances. A prominent investor approached him, his expression grim.
"Thomas, is it true?" the man asked. "The Wall Street Journal article that just dropped online. It says you are liquidating company assets to fund unauthorized offshore medical treatments for your new child, and that you're stepping down."
Thomas froze. "What article?"
He pulled out his phone. There it was, plastered on the financial news sites. LAWSON ATLANTIC CEO IN CRISIS: ILLEGAL ASSET DIVERSION FOR EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY? The article cited leaked, confidential medical records from St. Michael's detailing Elise's exact diagnosis and the multi-million-dollar cost of her required surgery.
Thomas looked across the ballroom. Standing by the bar, swirling a glass of scotch, was Arthur Sterling. Sterling raised his glass in a mock toast.
Fury, cold and absolute, gripped Thomas's heart. Sterling had not only orchestrated a corporate coup; he had weaponized a four-year-old disabled child's medical records to do it.
Thomas strode across the ballroom, his face an impenetrable mask of rage. He didn't yell. He didn't cause a scene. He walked directly up to Sterling, leaning in close so only the CFO could hear him.
"You crossed the line, Arthur," Thomas whispered, his voice vibrating with lethal intent.
"I'm protecting the shareholders, Thomas," Sterling sneered softly. "You're a liability. The emergency board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at 9 AM. Have your resignation letter drafted. It will save you the embarrassment of a public firing."
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"If you think you can take my company by using my daughter," Thomas replied coldly, "you have severely underestimated what a father will do to protect his own."
Thomas turned and walked out of the gala. He had a war to win.
