Chapter 4 - THE BOARDROOM BATTLE
🚨 SHOCKING SHOWDOWN! THE DYING BILLIONAIRE WHEELED INTO THE BOARDROOM—BUT WHO IS THE MYSTERY WITNESS?!The high-rise headquarters of Cross Meridian Investments was a monument to glass and steel, hovering high above Wall Street. On the 50th floor, the atmosphere in the grand boardroom was electric with anticipation.
Marcus Vance sat at the head of the long mahogany table, surrounded by twelve of the most powerful board members in New York.
"The motion is simple," Vance announced, his voice echoing off the glass walls. "Nathaniel Cross is medically unfit to govern. We vote to strip him of his chairmanship, invalidate his recent unilateral changes to his trust structures, and appoint me as interim CEO."
"The motion is premature!"
The heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open.
The board members gasped.
Nathaniel Cross was wheeled into the room. He was dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, but he was hooked up to a portable oxygen tank, and his face was deathly pale. Pushing his wheelchair was Elena Morales, dressed not in her cleaning uniform, but in a sharp, elegant navy blazer.
Beside them walked Lily, clutching her one-eyed doll, her face brave and resolute.
"Nathaniel," Vance scoffed, recovering his composure. "This is pathetic. Dragging yourself out of a hospital bed for a desperate stunt? And bringing your cleaning staff? This only proves your mental instability."
"I am perfectly sane, Marcus," Nathaniel said, his voice quiet but carrying the familiar, razor-sharp edge that had terrified Wall Street for decades. "And I am still the majority shareholder of this firm."
"Not for long," Vance sneered. "We have the medical reports. Your heart is operating at less than fifteen percent capacity. You are medically incompetent to make decisions for this company or your estate."
"Actually," Elena stepped forward, her voice ringing clear and strong across the room. "Mr. Cross’s estate is no longer under his sole jurisdiction. And his medical status does not invalidate his decisions."
Vance laughed. "And who are you to speak in this boardroom? A maid? A glorified housekeeper?"
"My name is Elena Morales," she said, looking Vance dead in the eye. "And I am the legal guardian of Lily Morales. But more importantly, I am the sister of Sofia Morales."
A collective murmur went through the board. Some of the older board members recognized the name. Sofia had been the center of a major scandal twelve years ago before she vanished.
Elena pulled a document from her folder and slammed it onto the table in front of Vance.
"Twelve years ago, Nathaniel’s father, Arthur Cross, forced Nathaniel to sign a secret trust agreement," Elena explained. "That agreement stated that if Nathaniel ever married or had heirs with anyone outside the approved corporate dynasty, his shares would be frozen. However, Arthur Cross made a fatal mistake in the wording. The contract stated that if Nathaniel died without a legal spouse, his shares would revert to the living relatives of the woman he loved, provided she was deceased."
Vance’s face began to pale. "That's... that's legal gibberish. Sofia was never his spouse!"
"But she was the beneficiary of his life insurance and his personal estate, which Nathaniel never changed," Elena countered. "Under New York state law, since Sofia is deceased, her surviving next of kin—myself and my daughter Lily—are the rightful heirs to Nathaniel’s personal portion of Cross Meridian, effective immediately upon his signing of the transfer of power. Which he did this morning."
Nathaniel smiled, a cold, triumphant glint in his eyes. "I have transferred my voting rights to Elena, Marcus. She now controls fifty-one percent of the board. And her first act of business..."
Elena looked at Vance, her expression cold. "Marcus Vance, you are fired. Effective immediately. Security is waiting outside to escort you from the building."
Vance stood up, his chair screeching against the floor. "This is a farce! You can't do this! He’s still dying! In two weeks, he’ll be dead, and I will tie this up in probate court for the next ten years!"
Suddenly, Nathaniel gasped, clutching his chest. His eyes rolled back, and his head fell forward onto his chest.
"Nathaniel!" Elena cried, rushing to his side.
The portable heart monitor attached to his wheelchair began a solid, terrifying beep.
Beeeeeeeep.
"He’s flatlining!" one of the board members shouted.
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"Call 911!" Elena screamed, cradling Nathaniel’s head as Lily began to weep, clutching his hand.
As the boardroom erupted into absolute chaos, Vance let out a cruel, maniacal laugh. "It’s over! He’s dead! The billionaire is dead!"
