Chapter 11 - THE GHOST IN THE BOARDROOM
Spring melted into a sweltering summer, and Vance Industrial Distribution continued its aggressive expansion into renewable energy logistics, a pivot Luca had mocked just months prior. As COO, my days were consumed by mergers, international trade talks, and mentoring Kelly during her weekend office internships. Yet, ghosts have a way of lingering in the corridors of corporate power.
Word reached us through middle management that Luca had been spotted lingering in the lobby of our secondary headquarters downtown. Desperate to salvage his shattered reputation, he had been trying to intercept board members, spinning elaborate conspiracy theories about how his father was senile and how I had orchestrated a malicious corporate coup. Nobody listened. In the cutthroat world of industrial manufacturing, a fallen executive without capital or influence is nothing more than background noise.
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Rachel Vance handled the perimeter security personally. When Luca cornered one of our senior vice presidents near the parking elevators, Rachel was there within ninety seconds with two private security guards and a fresh restraining order.
“One more step inside a Vance property, Luca, and you won’t just be fighting an embezzlement audit—you’ll be facing federal stalking charges,” Rachel told him, her voice chillingly calm as security frog-marched him out into the midday heat.
