Chapter 4 - THE POISONED TOASTThe microphone screeched with feedback as Richard Vance stepped up to the dais, elbowing the master of ceremonies aside with unmasked arrogance. The ballroom fell into an uneasy, suffocating silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed partners," Richard began, his voice dripping with oily charm as he cast a lingering look toward Evelyn and me standing near the VIP tables. "Before we celebrate tonight's summit, we must address an elephant in the room. Transparency is the bedrock of this corporation. And recently... ethical boundaries have been severely compromised at the highest levels of leadership."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Sterling puffed out his chest, looking smugly in my direction.
"We have received credible reports—backed by undeniable physical presence—that our Chief Executive has engaged in severe conflicts of interest, compromising corporate governance behind closed doors," Richard continued, raising his voice for theatrical effect. "In light of this gross misconduct, the board of directors moves for an immediate emergency vote of no confidence to strip Evelyn Vance of her executive powers, effective immediately."
The silence that followed was deafening. Every eye darted to Evelyn, waiting for her to break, to scream, to run.
Instead, a slow, terrifyingly calm smile spread across her face. She didn't flinch. She didn't look back at the whispering crowd. Instead, she turned her gaze to me, gave a single, imperceptible nod, and stepped aside, gesturing gracefully toward the stage.
May you like
It was my cue.
I straightened my tie, stepped out from the shadows of the VIP section, and began walking toward the dais, leaving a trail of stunned, open-mouthed executives in my wake.
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