Chapter 9 - The Unexpected Audit
Clara stared down at her phone screen, her thumb hovering over the screen as if terrified to swipe. The sterile hum of the hospital corridor seemed to amplify, pressing in on the three of them with sudden, suffocating intensity. Julian noticed the shift in Clara’s demeanor first, stepping away from Valeria to address the older woman.
“Clara? What is it?” Julian asked, his brow furrowing with concern. “Is there another emergency at the firm?”
Clara looked up, her dark reddish eyes wide with disbelief and suppressed panic. “It’s not just the firm, Julian. That call wasn't from the office. It was from the corporate compliance department. Someone just initiated an emergency forensic audit of Mendoza Holdings—using Arthur’s executive override code.”
Valeria’s blood ran cold. She stepped forward, her maroon dress rustling softly in the quiet hall. “An audit? But my father is incapacitated in the ICU. Who could possibly have his override code?”
“Only three people in the entire world possess the master sequence,” Clara said, her voice dropping to a tense, urgent whisper. “Arthur, myself... and the head of corporate acquisitions.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed as the pieces clicked together in his mind. “Who is the head of acquisitions, Clara? Who has the power to dismantle the company while Arthur is lying unconscious upstairs?”
Before Clara could answer, a heavy shadow fell across them from the end of the hallway. Footsteps echoed sharply against the linoleum, signaling the arrival of someone who had no business being in a restricted hospital wing at three in the morning. Out of the dim light stepped a tall, sharp-featured man in an expensive charcoal suit, holding a leather briefcase like a weapon. It was Richard Vance, Arthur’s longtime chief rival and the minority shareholder of Mendoza Holdings.
Richard stopped a few feet away, a cold, predatory smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He looked at Valeria, then at Julian, and finally settled his gaze on Clara with calculated amusement.
“Well, well,” Richard said smoothly, his voice dripping with false sympathy. “Rumor has it the old lion finally took a tumble. A tragedy, truly. But business waits for no man—not even Arthur Mendoza.”
Valeria stepped in front of Clara, her chin held high as the fierce, protective spirit of her father surged through her veins. The grief she had felt moments ago instantly transformed into razor-sharp fury.
“You have a lot of nerve showing your face here, Richard,” Valeria spat, her dark eyes flashing with warning. “My father is fighting for his life, and you’re down here sniffing around like a vulture for corporate scraps.”
Richard chuckled softly, unfazed by her hostility. He adjusted his gold-plated cufflinks and took another step closer. “Save the melodrama, Valeria. I didn't come here to pay my respects. I came to deliver a notice. With Arthur incapacitated, the board has invoked Clause 9 of the corporate charter. Effective immediately, all executive powers transfer to the majority voting bloc—which, as of midnight tonight, is controlled by my investment firm.”
Clara gasped, stepping forward with outrage flashing in her eyes. “You manipulated the proxy votes! You orchestrated the audit to seize control while Arthur was vulnerable!”
May you like
Richard smiled coldly, tapping his leather briefcase. “Business is war, Clara. And the Mendoza empire is finally ripe for the taking.”
---
