Chapter 5 - The Collapse of the DynastyThe silence in the boardroom was so thick you could hear the hum of the air conditioner.
Mason’s face turned from smug arrogance to a ghastly, pale green. Rosalind gasped, dropping her handkerchief, her jaw slacking as she stared at the giant screen displaying her treason in 4K resolution.
"This... this is a deepfake!" Mason screamed, springing from his leather chair. "It's AI generated! I never met with Sterling! Ethan is setting us up!"
"Is that so?" I said calmly, clicking to the next slide on the presentation.
On the screen popped up a series of bank transaction records, certified by the Department of Financial Services.
"Ten minutes ago, federal agents intercepted a wire transfer of $500,000 from an offshore account in the Cayman Islands directly into Mason's personal checking account," I announced, looking around at the horrified board members. "The cash taken from my home safe last night? It wasn't just money. It was marked currency provided by the FBI to track corporate espionage operations."
Marcus Vance stood up, his face red with fury. "You complete idiots," he spat at Mason and Rosalind. "You brought corporate espionage into our boardroom?!"
"No! Wait! Marcus, listen to me!" Rosalind shrieked, rushing toward the lead investor, grabbing his arm. "Ethan is lying! He beat his wife! Ask him about Daphne! He’s unstable!"
The boardroom doors slammed open again.
This time, it wasn't security guards. Four uniformed officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and two local police detectives walked in, their badges glinting under the fluorescent lights.
"Mason Vance? Rosalind Vance?" the lead federal agent barked, pulling out two pairs of heavy steel handcuffs. "You are under arrest for federal corporate espionage, grand larceny, conspiracy to commit fraud, and extortion."
"Get your hands off me!" Mason roared, struggling as an agent forced his arms behind his back, slamming his face onto the polished glass boardroom table. "Ethan! Tell them to stop! I'm your brother! You can't do this to your own blood!"
"Blood?" I walked up to him, bending down so my voice was a whisper in his ear. "You tried to murder my unborn child for twenty million dollars. You aren't my brother. You're a parasite."
Rosalind was dragged kicking and screaming toward the door, her expensive mink coat ripping along the seam. "Ethan! You ungrateful monster! I gave you life! You can't let them take me to prison! Ethan! DAPHNE MADE ME DO IT! IT WAS DAPHNE!"
As the officers hauled them down the hallway, their desperate screams faded into the distance.
The board members stood in silence, looking at me with newfound fear and respect. Marcus Vance stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Ethan... we had no idea," Marcus said, his voice trembling slightly. "The board unanimously reaffirms you as CEO. We will file counter-lawsuits immediately."
"Save the lawsuits, Marcus," I said, putting my coat back on. "I have a family to take care of."
I left the corporate tower and drove straight back to the hospital. But when I pushed open the door to Room 402, my heart dropped into my stomach once again.
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The hospital bed was empty. The heart monitor was turned off.
And sitting on the bedside table was a single white envelope addressed to me in Daphne’s handwriting.
