CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

~~~ETHAN WILDER~~~

The tension in the boardroom was thick enough to choke on.

A long mahogany table stretched before me, housing twelve nameplates and chairs for each member.

I sat at the head of that table, waiting for the one person I had come here for, but from the look of things, she hadn’t arrived yet.

Julian and Sarah sat huddled together on the left side of the table, right beside me. Sarah’s hands were clenched so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were white, her eyes darting frantically between me and the Phoenix Ring on my finger.

“This is a mistake,” Julian hissed, still struggling to accept the truth of the situation. “The Phoenix Group doesn't just... hand out power to ex-convicts. There’s a legal trail here that I will uncover.”

I didn't spare Julian a glance. Instead, I busied myself with adjusting my nameplate. “As of now, Julian Vance, the trail leads exactly where I want it to. I suggest you worry less about my past and more about your future or the lack of one.”

An elderly board member cleared his throat, leaning forward and nodding briefly in my direction. “Mr. Wilder, we are all present. We are ready to begin the audit and discuss the review of subsidiary shares. However...” He glanced at the one empty chair at the far end of the table. The plaque in front of it read: ALINA JOHNSON – CEO, D_VANCE BOUTIQUE FIRM.

“She’s late,” Sarah snapped desperately. “Typical. The girl is as disorganized as her criminal father. Is this who you’re protecting, Ethan? A girl who can’t even show up to a meeting that determines her life’s work? It’s an insult to the Phoenix Empire to keep you waiting.”

"Keeping the Phoenix representative waiting? She should be stripped of her shares for this alone," another board member added.

My face hardened. "Under no circumstance will you utter derogatory comments against Alina or her father. Furthermore, no one speaks until they are asked to!"

The murmurs died down instantly until there was complete silence in the boardroom.

Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the end of the hall swung open with a loud thwack. A young woman burst in, looking anything but settled. She was frantic, her professional blazer slightly misbuttoned and her hair escaping a partially neat ponytail. In her arms, she clutched a mountain of folders and files.

“I’m so sorry. The elevator got stuck, and then the staples snapped, and I” she trailed off, anxiously sparing a glance at the hardened faces around the table.

She swallowed the rest of her words and hurried toward the empty seat. In the final moments, her heel caught the edge of the carpet, causing her to stumble with a force that sent her folders and files flying everywhere.

“Oh, no, no, no!” she squeaked, dropping to her knees to scramble for the sheets. “I have the projections! I have the proof of the illegal coercion! Please, just give me a second!” The tremor in her voice was plain. "I've worked so hard for this company. It's unfair to be dismissed like I don't matter because of issues that were not in my control."

My lips pressed into a thin line. Seeing her this helpless triggered a protective part of me I thought I’d buried.

Sarah let out a sharp, mocking peal of laughter. “See? This is the ‘business titan’ you’re defending, Ethan. She’s a clown.”

Julian smirked. “Embarrassing. Security should escort her out for wasting our time.”

My chair creaked as I stood up. The room went silent instantly. I walked slowly toward the mess of papers and began picking them up myself. Alina looked up, peering at me, and I could tell she recognized me instantly.

She studied my features for a long minute

"Are you okay?" I asked, my tone laced with genuine concern.

Alina shook her head, seemingly reminding herself to stay focused. She took the papers from me, gathering them in her arms before placing them on the desk.

“Pardon my clumsiness, Mr. Wilder. I... I have the files, sir. I promise I’m competent, I just..”

“Take your time,” I said calmly. “We were waiting for you to arrive before we commenced the meeting."

She nodded and mouthed a thank you. I waited until she was settled comfortably in her seat before turning my gaze back toward Julian and Sarah.

“And as for those who find her ‘embarrassing’...” I gestured to the board. “I find it much more embarrassing to be a CEO whose company is currently being dismantled from the inside."

Every member shifted in their seat. decorum descended on the room. I walked back to my chair to address them all.

"The Vance Corporation has built its reputation on the idea of 'legacy,'" I began calmly "But looking at this table, all I see is a group of people eager to wrongly strip a subsidiary because they think there are no consequences for bullying the vulnerable."

"Ethan, enough of the theatrics," Sarah snapped, her voice trembling despite her urge to hide it. "You’ve made your point. You have some mysterious backing. But the board isn't going to let a convict dictate the terms of our internal acquisitions."

"If I were you, Sarah, I wouldn't be so sure about what the board is 'letting' happen."

Just then, phones throughout the room began to chirp, distracting the members. I nodded, giving them permission to check their notifications. They scrambled for their devices, and almost immediately, gasps filled the air.

"What is this?" Julian screeched, his face turning bright red as he scrolled. "The Vance family shares... they’re being liquidated? By who?"

"By me," I said. "Five minutes ago, the Phoenix Group bought your debt, Julian.”

I turned my gaze to the elderly board member who had mocked Alina. "As of this moment, I own fifty-seven percent of the Vance Corporation’s voting shares.”

A stifled sob escaped Sarah’s throat. She looked at Julian, but he was staring at his phone in a trance.

"First order of business," I announced, gesturing toward Alina. "The acquisition of the boutique firm is cancelled. Effective immediately, Alina Johnson is promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations for the entire Vance company. She will be overseeing the audit of every person sitting at this table."

Alina gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Mr. Wilder... I..."

"You’ve earned it, Alina. Your father said you were the smartest person he knew. Prove him right."

Sarah let out a loud yell. “Earned it??” she asked in disbelief. “She earned nothing. Look at her, Ethan! She looks terrible! She does not deserve the position.”

“Enough, Sarah! You should not be talking to me or seen associating with me, remember? You were so worried about the stain on your reputation.”

She sucked in her lower lip. “Listen to me, Ethan. How about we talk it out? Somewhere else? In private?”

“There’s nothing for us to discuss," I replied coldly. "Association with a criminal is a terrible thing, which is why, as the majority shareholder, I am firing you for cause. Security will escort you out.”