Chapter 4 - The CEO Takes His Seat“What is she doing here?!” Patricia shrieked, standing up so fast her chair screeched loudly against the hardwood floor. She pointed a trembling finger at Rachel, then glared at Thomas. “Security! Get these frauds out of here! This is a closed corporate restructuring meeting for Genesis Corporation!”
The two Genesis VPs seated at the table didn't move. In fact, they both stood up immediately and bowed their heads respectfully.
“Good morning, Mr. Vance,” the senior VP said nervously.
Patricia froze. She looked from the corporate executives to Thomas, then back to Rachel, her brain desperately trying to process the impossible math.
Thomas walked slowly toward the head of the mahogany table—the large leather chair reserved exclusively for the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Corporation.
He didn't sit down right away. He stood tall, resting his hands on the back of the chair, his cold gray eyes locking onto Patricia Whitman.
“Good morning, Patricia,” Thomas said, his voice echoing across the silent boardroom. “Welcome to Genesis Corporation. I believe you brought the estate documents for Robert Whitman?”
Patricia grabbed the edges of the table to steady herself, her breath coming in shallow gasps. “You... you’re Thomas Vance? The founder? The majority shareholder? You were wearing a torn work jacket yesterday!”
“I like to inspect properties personally,” Thomas replied calmly. “It’s amazing what you learn about people when they think you’re broke and desperate. For instance, you learn that some people are willing to sell a young woman’s entire future for a hundred dollars.”
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Rachel stood near the doorway, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She looked at Thomas—the billionaire CEO who had let her step into his truck, who had listened to her dignity get trampled, and who had returned to collect a much larger debt than Patricia ever imagined.
“Sit down, Patricia,” Thomas commanded quietly, his voice dropping an octave into pure ice. “We have a very long audit to discuss. And something tells me you’re going to need a lawyer very, very soon.”
