Chapter 8 - The Press Conference
The following Monday morning, the plaza outside Vale Meridian headquarters was a chaotic sea of flashing camera lights, jostling reporters, and thrust microphones. Speculation had run wild in the financial news for days regarding the sudden executive shake-up and the mysterious freeze on the company's stock trading.
The glass doors parted, and Evelyn stepped out onto the steps, flanked by security personnel and the new board executives. She wore a tailored charcoal suit, her expression composed, solemn, and radiating an unyielding inner strength. The murmurs of the crowd instantly quieted as she stepped up to the podium, adjusting the microphone before her with steady hands.
"Effective today, Vale Meridian is undergoing a complete structural realignment," Evelyn announced, her voice carrying clearly across the square. "We are refocusing our corporate mission on philanthropic investments, medical research funding, and community support initiatives—prioritizing human lives over corporate greed." When a reporter shouted a question about Julian Meridian's sudden disappearance from the company, Evelyn paused, looking directly into the camera lenses. "Mr. Meridian’s personal and professional misconduct has been permanently separated from this institution. Vale Meridian has closed a dark chapter of neglect, and today, we begin a new era of accountability."
