Chapter 5 - The Boardroom War
The atmosphere inside the glass-walled boardroom of Vale Strategic Consulting was suffocating. The twenty board members sat in high-backed leather chairs, their faces grim. At the head of the table sat Richard Hale, looking victorious.
Aaron walked in late, wearing a sharp charcoal suit, his expression unreadable. Behind him walked Elena, dressed in a professional blazer Aaron had purchased for her, carrying a sleek laptop. Iris was safe at the penthouse under the care of a trusted security detail.
"Aaron, thank you for joining us," Richard said smoothly. "We were just discussing the recent... instability in your personal life. The fire in Queens, the sudden reappearance of a disgruntled former employee. The board feels that your focus has been compromised at a critical juncture for the company."
"My focus has never been sharper," Aaron said, taking his seat at the far end of the table.
"We are voting to remove you as CEO, Aaron," Richard announced, sliding a document across the table. "We have the majority vote. Your emotional entanglement with Miss Vance poses a liability we cannot afford."
Elena stepped forward, placing her laptop on the center of the table and connecting it to the main projector screen. "Before you cast that vote, gentlemen, I think you should review the audit I’ve spent the last forty-eight hours compiling."
Richard’s smile faltered. "This is a private board meeting, Elena. You have no standing here."
"Actually, she does," Aaron countered. "As the founder, I have the right to present evidence of corporate espionage and embezzlement before any vote can be finalized."
Elena clicked a button. The projector lit up with hundreds of financial transactions, all tracing back to an offshore account controlled by Richard Hale.
"Seven years ago, the Phoenix Project wasn't Aaron's idea," Elena revealed, her voice steady and powerful. "Richard framed Aaron by placing those files on his desk, knowing I would find them and blow the whistle, destroying Aaron's reputation so Richard could take over. When I ran away, I didn't just hide—I took the backup servers with me. For seven years, I’ve kept the data that proves Richard has been skimming millions from our clients' crisis funds."
The boardroom erupted into murmurs of shock. Richard stood up, his face contorting with rage. "This is a fabrication! A desperate attempt by a scorned woman and a failing CEO to hold onto power!"
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"The FBI is already downstairs, Richard," Aaron said softly, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't call them about the embezzlement. I called them about the arson. The security cameras outside Elena’s apartment building captured your personal driver dropping off the man who threw the smoke bomb."
Richard’s face drained of color. He looked around the room, but every single board member was looking away from him. The doors to the boardroom opened, and two federal agents stepped inside.
