Chapter 5 - THE TRAP CLOSES
"You forged my signature?" Adrian lunged forward, but two massive corporate security guards—men Adrian himself had hired—suddenly stepped out from the private hallway, blocking his path with riot shields and drawn tasers.
"Stand down, Mr. Cole," the lead guard said coldly, his eyes devoid of any recognition or loyalty.
Adrian stared at the guards in disbelief. "Are you out of your minds? I sign your paychecks!"
"We take orders from the board of directors and the primary legal trust holder," Jonathan replied smoothly, stepping past the guards to stand face-to-face with Adrian. "And as of four minutes ago, following an emergency digital ballot executed under Section 14 of the corporate charter, the board has voted to strip you of your title, your assets, and your executive authority due to 'severe mental instability and criminal negligence'."
Martha grabbed Adrian’s arm, her voice shaking with panic. "Adrian, don't play his game. We need to get out of here."
"You aren't going anywhere, Mrs. Cole," Jonathan purred, snapping his fingers.
Four more guards swarmed around Martha, pulling her gently but firmly away from Adrian despite her protests.
"Mom!" Adrian shouted, lunging forward, but a high-voltage taser dart struck him in the shoulder.
The electrical current surged through his nervous system. Adrian’s muscles locked instantly. A gasp of agony escaped his lips as he collapsed hard onto the pristine white marble floor. The world spun violently, the bright penthouse lights blurring into a chaotic swirl of white and gold.
Through a haze of pain, Adrian saw Jonathan standing over him, adjusting the cuffs of his blazer.
"You see, Adrian," Jonathan said softly, looking down at the fallen CEO with a mixture of pity and contempt. "You were always too soft. You spent thirty years searching for a ghost, pouring your heart into a fairytale about a mother who supposedly loved you enough to brave the flames. Sentimentality is a fatal flaw in the corporate world."
Adrian gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the marble tiles as he fought against the lingering paralyzing shock of the taser. "You... won't... win," he spat out, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
May you like
"I already have," Jonathan smiled, turning his back and walking toward the private elevator. "By the time the federal agents break through those doors downstairs, you will be sitting in a federal penitentiary for corporate arson, fraud, and embezzlement. And Cole Meridian Tower... will belong entirely to the trust."
The elevator doors closed, taking Jonathan and the guards with them, leaving Adrian lying on the floor with his mother and Chloe.
