Chapter 3 - The Bait and the Hook
The rain was pouring in sheets against the glass walls of the Sterling Innovations executive boardroom on Friday afternoon.
I sat at the head of the massive mahogany table, hidden in the shadows of the dimmed room. David sat to my right, reviewing the final acquisition contracts. We had positioned the seating so that the dual screens at the front of the room obscured my face from the doorway until the moment I chose to reveal myself.
At exactly 2:00 PM, the heavy oak doors swung open.
My assistant, Maya, led the guests into the room. “The CEO will be with you in just a moment. Please, have a seat.”
I watched through the reflection of the glass monitors. Wyatt walked in first. He looked ten years older, the arrogant swagger replaced by the frantic, exhausted posture of a man drowning in debt. His custom suit hung slightly loose on his frame, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of countless sleepless nights.
And right behind him, clicking loudly on her red-soled stilettos, was Savannah.
She hadn't changed. She was draped in expensive designer labels, clutching a Birkin bag that probably cost more than Kensington Oil’s current liquid assets. She looked around the sleek, modern boardroom with a sneer of utter boredom.
“This place is entirely too sterile, Wyatt,” Savannah complained loudly, dropping her bag onto the polished wood table. “Can we just get this over with? I have a reservation at Alinea at six, and I need to go shopping on the Magnificent Mile before then. You promised me this buyout would inject at least fifty million into our personal accounts.”
Wyatt shot her a panicked, warning glare. “Savannah, keep your voice down. We are begging Aura Holdings to save us from federal indictments. If this CEO doesn’t sign the buyout today, the banks seize the Dallas estate by Monday. There is no shopping spree. We are broke.”
Savannah’s face twisted into an ugly, furious mask. “You swore to me that your grandfather’s company was bulletproof! I didn't waste my twenties waiting for you to dump your boring first wife just to end up poor, Wyatt! Fix this, or I am calling my divorce attorney.”
Sitting in the shadows, I almost laughed out loud. The grand romance that Wyatt had sacrificed his own flesh and blood for was nothing but a transactional nightmare. They despised each other. He had thrown away a woman who would have stood by him through hell, only to end up with a parasite who was jumping off his sinking ship.
“I will fix it,” Wyatt hissed through his teeth, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Just sit down and look pretty.”
David cleared his throat loudly, standing up from his chair. Wyatt and Savannah snapped their attention to the front of the room.
“Mr. Kensington. Ms. Vance,” David said, his tone perfectly professional, though I could see the absolute disdain in his eyes. “I am David Rossi, CFO of Aura Holdings. We have reviewed your financial disclosures. To be frank, your company is a toxic asset. Your debt-to-income ratio is catastrophic.”
Wyatt swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the table. “Mr. Rossi, I assure you, Kensington Oil still holds the master leases on the Permian Basin drills. If Aura injects capital, we can turn a profit by Q3. I just need to speak directly with your CEO. I know I can convince them.”
“Our CEO is fully aware of your... operations, Wyatt,” I said quietly.
I pressed the button on my console. The dual screens parted, sliding into the walls, and the overhead LED lights flared to life, illuminating the head of the table.
May you like
I stood up, wearing a tailored, emerald-green power suit, my hair styled in a sleek, immaculate blowout. I looked directly into the eyes of the man who had left me to bleed out on a delivery table five years ago.
“Hello, Wyatt,” I said, my voice ringing out with terrifying, absolute authority. “It’s been a while.”
