Chapter 2 — The Boardroom Queen
The silence inside the mansion shattered the moment Isabella's convoy disappeared into the night.
Lucas stared at the open doorway as if reality itself had betrayed him.
"No..." he whispered. "She can't do this."
Richard slammed both hands onto the dining table.
"Call legal!"
"They're not answering," Lucas replied, refreshing his phone for the tenth time.
Every banking notification showed the same thing.
Executive privileges revoked.
Board authorization suspended.
Emergency shareholder meeting in progress.
Sophie's breathing became uneven.
"Lucas... tell me this is some kind of mistake."
He couldn't.
Because deep down...
He finally remembered.
Four years ago.
The company had been drowning in debt.
Banks refused another loan.
Investors walked away.
Then, overnight...
A mysterious investment group had purchased enough shares to save everything.
No one knew who they were.
Richard had celebrated.
Lucas had taken the credit.
Neither of them had bothered asking where the money truly came from.
Now they knew.
Across the city...
Inside the tallest glass tower overlooking downtown...
Every board member stood the moment Isabella entered.
No applause.
No cheering.
Only respect.
"Good evening, Chairwoman."
Lucas had never attended a single board meeting where everyone stood for him.
Isabella didn't ask them to.
They simply did.
She walked to the head of the table.
Her assistant quietly placed a leather folder before her.
"The vote is ready."
One signature.
One motion.
One unanimous decision.
Lucas Bennett...
Removed as CEO.
Richard Bennett...
Removed from the Board of Directors.
Effective immediately.
Isabella closed the folder.
"No revenge," she said calmly.
"Only accountability."
One director smiled.
"We've been waiting years to hear those words."
Outside...
News alerts began flooding every financial network.
BENNETT INDUSTRIES SHOCK: CEO REMOVED IN MIDNIGHT BOARD VOTE.
The empire wasn't collapsing.
May you like
It was changing owners.
The rightful one.
