Chapter 10
The silence in the room was absolute. Vincent looked from his wife to his father, the reality of the situation slowly crashing down on him.
"You can't trigger a takeover," Julian laughed, though it sounded forced. "You don't have the capital."
"I don't," Claire agreed. "But Vanguard does. And they are very interested in absorbing Moretti Holdings at a fraction of the cost, provided the current leadership is entirely removed."
"This is blackmail," a board member whispered.
"This is business," Marcus Vance corrected. "My client is offering a compromise. Vincent remains CEO, and Julian steps down from the board entirely."
Vincent gasped. "Claire..."
"Why would you keep him?" Julian sneered, pointing at his son. "He humiliated you."
"Vincent is a flawed husband, but he is a predictable CEO," Claire said coldly. "You, Julian, are a liability. I have evidence of offshore accounts in the Caymans tied directly to your signature. Accounts that Vincent, unfortunately, failed to audit properly."
Julian's face went pale. "You're lying."
Claire slid a single sheet of paper across the polished wood toward him. "Am I?"
May you like
Julian looked at the paper, his jaw tightening. He looked up at Claire, seeing her truly for the first time. The girl in the pale-blue dress was gone.
"You have twenty-four hours to announce your retirement, Julian," Claire said, standing up. "Come, Vincent. We have a lot to discuss."
