Chapter 6 - Blood in the Water
By two o'clock that afternoon, Mark found himself sitting across from the executive board of Vance & Sterling Consulting—the firm where he had spent the last seven years climbing the ladder. The firm bore his family name, but it had been founded by his grandfather, and the current board was made up of stern, risk-averse partners who cared about one thing above all else: quarterly returns.
Richard Vance, Mark's seventy-year-old uncle and majority shareholder, slid a tablet across the conference table. On the screen was the local news broadcast, featuring Mark’s mugshot right beside the viral video of him striking Ethan.
"Care to explain this, Mark?" Richard asked, his voice gravelly and devoid of familial warmth.
"Uncle Richard, it’s out of context," Mark stammered, sweating through his shirt. "My wife... she staged it. Her brother is a trained fighter! He threatened me!"
"The video clearly shows your hands on her wrist first, Mark. And then you hit him while his hands were at his sides," Richard said coldly. "Three of our biggest corporate clients—including the state pension fund—have already called this morning demanding to pull their accounts if you remain affiliated with this firm."
"You can't fire me! I'm a partner!"
"A non-equity junior partner," Richard corrected sharply. "With a morality clause clearly outlined in paragraph fourteen of your contract. As of twelve o'clock, the board voted unanimously to terminate your employment. Pack your office. Security will escort you off the property in ten minutes."
"Uncle Richard, please! My accounts are frozen! Claire took everything!"
"Then I suggest you hire a very good lawyer," Richard said, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "Because the state attorney general's office called my legal department an hour ago. They’re auditing the Vance Logistics contract you managed. If there's missing money, Mark, the firm will be the first to hand you over to the feds."
Meanwhile, across town at my new office in the financial district, Diane was attempting a desperate gambit of her own.
She stormed into the lobby of Sterling Capital, screaming my name, her makeup smeared and eyes wild. "Claire! Come out here, you thief! You destroyed my son! You destroyed my business!"
Clients turned to stare. The receptionist reached for the emergency button, but Ethan, who had officially taken over as head of facility security that morning, walked out from the back corridor.
"Mrs. Vance," Ethan said, standing tall with his arms behind his back. "You have exactly five seconds to turn around and leave, or I will have the police arrest you for trespassing and harassment."
Diane glared at him with pure hatred. "You think you’re so tough, don't you? A washed-up fighter with a broken shoulder! You’re nothing but Claire's attack dog!"
May you like
"Maybe," Ethan smiled faintly. "But this attack dog knows how to read tax returns. And trust me, Diane, you should be running to the airport, not making a scene in my lobby."
***
