Chapter 5: The Corporate Viper
The quarterly shareholders meeting of Vance Global Enterprises was held in the glass boardroom of the 50th floor. Julian Vance sat at the head of the oak table, projecting the air of a self-made titan.
The double doors swung open.
Eleanor walked in, immaculate in a bespoke charcoal power suit. Behind her walked Arthur Cross, carrying a leather briefcase.
"Eleanor, you’re late," Julian said with a dismissive smirk. "We were just voting on the liquidation of your late husband's trust fund to finance our offshore real estate portfolio."
"The trust fund is legally locked, Julian," Eleanor said calmly, taking her seat.
"Under state law, if an heir is deceased for over seven years with no claim, the collateral passes to the surviving siblings," Julian sneered.
"Alex is not dead."
The room plunged into dead silence. Board members exchanged stunned looks. Julian’s face paled, though he quickly masked it with a patronizing chuckle.
"Eleanor, grief has made you unstable. Alex died in the fire. We all mourned him."
Arthur Cross stepped forward, slapping a thick folder onto the mahogany table. "DNA verification signed by the Chief of Forensics at NYU Langone. The rightful heir to sixty percent of Vance Global is alive and under round-the-clock federal protection."
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Eleanor locked eyes with Julian. "You have forty-eight hours to vacate the executive suite, Julian. The audit begins today."
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