Chapter 4 - The Man in the Shadows
Michael froze. He recognized that voice. It was a voice that haunted his nightmares—a voice he hadn't heard in six years.
Stepping up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Anna was Julian Vance.
Julian was Michael’s older brother. He was the original founder of Vance Capital, the brilliant architect of the firm until Michael had orchestrated a ruthless, illegal boardroom coup to oust him and steal the CEO title. Julian had spent the last six years in Europe, supposedly disgraced and defeated.
Now, he was standing at Gate B22, looking immaculate in a tailored navy suit, holding two first-class boarding passes.
"Julian?" Michael choked out, the blood draining completely from his face. "What... what are you doing here? What are you doing with my wife?"
"She's not your wife anymore, Michael," Julian said, a cold, surgical smile touching his lips. "And she's not just my travel companion. She is my new business partner."
Michael’s mind short-circuited. "Business partner?"
Anna reached into her designer bag and pulled out a sleek, notarized folder.
"When you presented me with the marital settlement agreement, you were so eager to keep your mistresses and your liquid cash hidden that you didn't read the fine print regarding my marital equity," Anna explained, her voice echoing perfectly in the quieted terminal. "You awarded me fifty-one percent of your voting shares in Vance Capital in exchange for a clean break."
Michael gasped, the air completely leaving his lungs.
"And at 9:00 a.m. this morning," Julian continued, "Anna legally transferred those shares to my holding company. I am once again the majority shareholder of Vance Capital. We just held an emergency proxy vote via conference call while you were speeding down the Van Wyck."
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Julian knelt down slightly, bringing his face level with his hyperventilating brother.
"You're fired, Michael. You are completely, utterly ruined."
