Chapter 6 - The Emergency Board Meeting
The boardroom of Cole Enterprises was usually reserved for high-stakes mergers and billionaire power players. Today, the long mahogany table was occupied by five men whose very presence commanded absolute silence: the Moretti brothers.
At the head of the table sat Dominic, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. To his right, Matteo reviewed the logistics manifests, while Luca prepared a stack of legal disbarment notices for the company’s corrupt board members. Gabriel monitored a live feed of the stock market, where Cole Enterprises stock was currently in freefall, plummeting eighty-four percent in pre-market trading.
The heavy doors swung open, and the remaining members of the Cole board shuffled in, led by Vice President Robert Sterling. Sterling had spent years kissing up to Richard Cole, but this morning, he looked like a man walking toward the gallows.
“Mr. Moretti,” Sterling stammering slightly as he took a seat near the end of the table. “We received the emergency restructuring notices. The board… the board is prepared to cooperate fully.”
Dominic didn’t look up immediately. He let the silence stretch for agonizing seconds before raising his cold, gray eyes to meet Sterling’s.
“Cooperate?” Dominic’s voice was dangerously quiet. “Mr. Sterling, cooperation implies you have a choice. You don’t. You signed off on the fraudulent pension allocations three years ago. Gabriel has your digital signature right here.”
Sterling swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “I was just following Richard’s orders! If I didn't sign, he would have fired me!”
“Then you should have packed your desk,” Matteo snapped, slamming a heavy folder onto the table. “In our family, complicity is just another word for treason.”
Luca leaned forward, resting his forearms on the polished wood. “Here is how this morning is going to proceed, gentlemen. Each of you will sign an immediate letter of resignation, forfeiting all stock options and severance packages. In exchange, the Moretti family will recommend to federal prosecutors that your cooperation be taken into consideration during sentencing. You have two minutes.”
Not a single board member argued. Pens scratched frantically across paper as the mighty Cole empire was signed away in less than ninety seconds.
As Sterling handed his signed paper to Luca, the doors opened again. Elena walked into the boardroom, flanked by Nico. She wore dark sunglasses that hid the fatigue in her eyes, but her stride was steady and unyielding.
Dominic stood up immediately, pulling out the central chair at the head of the table for his sister. Elena sat down, placing her hands flat on the mahogany surface.
“Welcome home, Elena,” Dominic said softly.
May you like
Elena looked around the table at the men who had once looked down on her, whispering behind her back about her humble origins.
“Meeting adjourned,” Elena said.
