Chapter 3: The Boardroom Mutiny
"Marcus! Snap out of it!"
Victoria’s sharp hiss dragged him back to the blinding stage lights. Two armed guards were already seizing the older boy’s collar. The younger boy whimpered, clutching his broken arm against his chest.
"Let go of them," Marcus said. His voice was quiet, but it carried the lethal weight of an executioner's blade.
"Marcus, the livestream is broadcasting to seventy million shareholders," Victoria muttered under her breath, maintaining her camera-ready smile while her eyes flared with fury. "These vagrants breached private security. Sign the merger documents now, or the Board will invoke incapacity clauses before trading closes."
Marcus ignored her. He stepped down from the marble podium, descending the white steps until he was eye-level with the two children. The entire auditorium of billionaires held its collective breath.
"What is your name?" Marcus asked gently.
"Leo," the older boy said, his chin lifted high. "And this is Toby. He’s six."
"Where is your mother, Leo?"
Leo’s throat tightened. "She passed three months ago. Cancer. Before she went into the hospice, she dug Dad’s journal out from beneath the floorboards. She said Dad made her swear on his soul: *'When Marcus Vance conquers the world, take this to him. Tell him Arthur is calling in his debt.'*"
Murmurs rippled through the gallery like an oncoming storm. High-ranking board members shifted nervously in their seats.
"Get the cameras off!" Victoria signaled the production crew with a frantic slash of her hand. "Cut the feed!"
Marcus turned to the sea of cameras and spoke into his lapel mic. "Leave the cameras rolling."
He closed the charred notebook, turned his back on the trillion-dollar contracts on the podium, and extended both hands to the boys.
May you like
"The merger is suspended," Marcus declared. "Meeting adjourned."
---
