Chapter 5
"The paperwork was finalized this morning, Mrs. Rowe," Graham’s voice crackled through the broken speaker, amplified just enough in the quiet afternoon air. "The board has been notified. Security at the downtown headquarters has been instructed to deny Mr. Rowe entry."
"That's a lie!" Ethan suddenly exploded, stepping forward. "My grandfather built Rowe Enterprises! I hold fifty-one percent of the voting shares! You can't just take it!"
"Actually, Ethan, you held fifty-one percent," Meredith corrected, her tone conversational, as if discussing the weather. "Until you leveraged forty percent of it as collateral for that disastrous real estate venture in Dubai. The one you thought you kept hidden from me."
Ethan stumbled back a step as if physically struck.
"When the margin call hit yesterday, the holding company that bought your debt collected," Meredith continued smoothly. "A holding company called Apex Global. Care to guess who is the sole proprietor of Apex?"
"No," Judith whispered, grabbing Ethan's arm. "Ethan, tell me you didn't."
"I... I had to," Ethan stammered, his eyes darting frantically. "It was a sure thing! I was going to buy it back!"
"But you didn't," Meredith said. "And now, I am the majority shareholder. And my first act as owner is terminating you for gross negligence and breach of fiduciary duty."
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"You bitch," Vanessa yelled from the balcony, though her voice trembled. "You can't do this!"
Meredith didn't even look up. She kept her eyes locked on Ethan, watching his empire crumble in his mind in real-time.
