Chapter 12 - The Takeover
The boardroom was empty, save for the cleaning crew scrubbing Arthur's blood out of the carpet.
Eleanor sat in the high-backed leather chair at the head of the table. The CEO's chair.
With Arthur incapacitated by a fractured jaw and a pending SEC investigation, and Richard sitting in a holding cell for felony assault, the board had convened an emergency vote.
They needed stability. They needed someone who wasn't implicated in the Vanguard scandal.
They needed Eleanor.
She poured herself a glass of sparkling water from a fresh pitcher. The ice clinked against the crystal, a sharp, clean sound in the quiet room.
She picked up her phone to check her emails. The leather case felt rough against her palm. She looked at the jagged indentations her thumbnail had made over the last twenty-four hours.
She popped the phone out of the case. She tossed the ruined leather into the trash bin beneath the table.
The glass doors opened. Martin Vance, the lawyer, stepped inside. He looked pale, carrying a fresh stack of documents.
"The transfer of power is complete, Eleanor," Martin said, his voice subservient. "You are officially interim CEO. What are your first orders?"
Eleanor took a sip of water.
May you like
"Liquidate the Tribeca loft," she said. "Change the locks. And Martin? Find a new firm. You're fired."
She set the glass down, smiling for the first time in a very long time.
