Chapter 6 - The True OwnerRichard’s face flushed an ugly, mottled shade of crimson. He gripped the edge of the mahogany table, his knuckles turning stark white.
“Evelyn, have you lost your mind?!” Richard sputtered, trying to regain his composure as the board members whispered furiously among themselves. “Security! Get her out of here! She’s experiencing a severe psychotic episode—!”
“Mr. Carter,” Marcus Vance interrupted firmly, stepping forward and flashing his official state registrar badge. “I advise you not to finish that sentence. Mrs. Carter is not experiencing an episode. She is exercising her legal rights as the primary controlling shareholder and seventy-percent majority equity owner of Carter Logistics.”
The boardroom erupted into total chaos.
“Majority owner?!” shouted Thomas Sterling, the senior board director, staring at Richard in disbelief. “Richard, you told us for twenty years that you held eighty percent of the equity!”
“He lied to you,” I said calmly, taking my seat at the head of the table.
Miriam Shaw stepped forward, opening her heavy briefcase and sliding certified corporate ledger copies across the table to every single director.
“As detailed in the original founding charter of Carter Logistics,” Miriam announced clearly, “Mr. Carter held only thirty percent operational stock, while Mrs. Evelyn Carter—then Evelyn Vance, master forensic accountant—retained seventy percent voting power. Furthermore, under Article 9 of the corporate bylaws, any executive found attempting to siphon company funds, falsify board documents, or commit internal fraud is subject to immediate termination and civil asset forfeiture.”
Dana Mercer turned completely pale. She grabbed her leather portfolio, stood up from her chair, and tried to slip quietly toward the exit doors.
“Don’t move, Ms. Mercer,” I said softly without even turning around.
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The two federal marshals immediately stepped into the doorway, blocking Dana’s path.
“Federal wire fraud, corporate espionage, and conspiracy to commit financial extortion,” I recited, looking directly at Dana and Richard. “Warrants signed by a federal judge thirty minutes ago.”
