Chapter 27 - The Hostile Takeover
"If he thinks he can lick his wounds and come back for my son, he is mistaken," I continued, standing up and smoothing down my charcoal-grey tailored suit.
"What's your plan, Clara?" Julian asked, admiration and concern warring in his eyes.
"Arthur’s true power didn't come from his mansion or his name. It came from Sterling Global Holdings," I said, picking up my briefcase. "Today is the emergency board meeting to declare Arthur legally incapacitated and liquidate the company. Dominic’s cronies on the board plan to strip the remaining assets and wire them to Arthur's offshore accounts."
"They won't recognize your authority," Julian warned. "On paper, you're Dominic's estranged ex-wife."
"On paper," I smiled, a cold, sharp smile, "I hold forty-nine percent of the voting shares, transferred directly to me through Dominic’s signed divorce settlement and restitution agreement—validated yesterday by the state supreme court. Combined with your twelve percent, Julian, we own the majority."
An hour later, the boardroom on the sixty-fifth floor of Sterling Tower fell dead silent as the heavy mahogany doors swung open.
Seven senior executives, all old men who had bowed to Arthur Sterling for decades, froze mid-sentence. At the head of the table sat Richard Vance, Brooke’s uncle and the chief financial officer.
"Mrs. Sterling," Richard said, his voice dripping with condescension as he adjusted his glasses. "This is an executive session. You have no legal standing—"
"Sit down, Richard," Julian interrupted, stepping into the room behind me, his arm in a sling, his presence commanding absolute authority.
I walked directly to the head of the table, slammed a thick leather-bound dossier onto the glass surface, and pulled out the high-backed leather chair.
"As of eight o'clock this morning," I declared, my voice cutting through the room like a razor, "I am the majority voting shareholder of Sterling Global. Richard Vance, you are terminated effective immediately, and federal marshals are currently waiting in the lobby to arrest you for embezzlement and conspiracy."
May you like
Richard turned white as a sheet. The remaining board members shrank back into their chairs.
"The Sterling empire is under new management," I said coldly. "And our first order of business is hunting down every last cent Arthur Sterling tried to steal."
