Chapter 12 - The Ultimatum
"I don't negotiate with hijackers, Vivienne," I said, my voice projecting crystal-clear, freezing authority. I didn't panic. The terrified wife was long dead; the wartime CEO had taken the board.
Vivienne chuckled—a dry, soulless sound. "This isn't a negotiation, little girl. You disrupted the old world order when you took Vanguard. My consortium is taking it back."
She tapped a button on her end, and a heavily encrypted dossier appeared on our screens, outlining a multi-pronged attack designed to bleed us dry within seventy-two hours. Vivienne had orchestrated a flawless, synchronized assault:
Asset Paralysis: Bribed union leaders had ordered immediate strikes at our three largest European ports.
Market Sabotage: A massive, coordinated short-selling campaign was actively crashing Vanguard’s stock price.
Cargo Rerouting: Ten of our highest-value tech shipments had been digitally diverted into international dead zones.
"You have forty-eight hours to transfer the controlling voting shares of Vanguard Logistics to the Consortium," Vivienne smiled, a cold, predatory expression. "If you refuse, your empire will collapse into the sea."
The screen went black.
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Julian turned to me, an apocalyptic rage igniting in his chest. "She thinks she can choke us out. I’ll mobilize our legal and cyber teams right now."
"No," I whispered, the fire in my veins turning to absolute ice. "Vivienne expects us to play defense. We are going to go on the offensive. Get the jet fueled, Julian. We’re going to London."
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