Chapter 5 - THE BOARDROOM PURGEAt 9:00 AM on Monday morning, the glass double doors of Sentinel Medical Systems’ 80th-floor boardroom slid open.
When I walked in, wearing a sharp charcoal-gray pantsuit and my hair pulled back into a sleek, flawless ponytail, the remaining senior executives—corrupt board members installed by Margaret to siphon company funds—sat frozen in their leather chairs.
They expected a grieving, hospitalized widow.
Instead, they got an apex predator.
I took my seat at the head of the polished mahogany table—the exact seat Margaret had tried to claim for herself just forty-eight hours prior.
"Good morning, gentlemen," I said, my voice recovering its natural, commanding resonance as my throat continued to heal.
Chief Financial Officer Arthur Pendelton swallowed hard, adjusting his silk tie with a trembling hand. "A-Agent... I mean, Mrs. Cole. We were told you were incapacitated following the tragic accident."
"Your sources have always been terrible, Arthur," I replied evenly, sliding thick manila folders across the table to each board member.
Arthur opened his folder. Inside were signed wire transfer receipts, offshore shell company ledgers, and recorded phone conversations proving he had conspired with Margaret to falsify corporate audits.
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"You have two choices," I stated, leaning forward, resting my elbows on the table. "You can sign your immediate resignation, forfeit all stock options, and walk out of this building right now... or you can join Margaret in maximum security before lunch."
It took exactly thirty seconds for five gold pens to hit the table.
