Chapter 3: The Secret Alliance
Two weeks later, Ethan was sitting at his desk at Goldman Sachs, reviewing plans for a new commercial real estate development in downtown Manhattan. He’d already closed three deals in the past two weeks, and his boss had told him that he was on track to become a partner within the next two years. He’d moved into a small apartment in Brooklyn, and he’d started seeing a woman named Sarah, a graphic designer who worked at a design firm in SoHo. He was happy, for the first time in a long time.
Then he got a call from Lila.
“Ethan,” she said, her voice cold and formal. “I need to see you. It’s urgent.”
Ethan hesitated, then agreed. He’d been avoiding Lila since he’d been fired from Cole Development Group, but he knew he couldn’t keep avoiding her forever. He agreed to meet her at a small coffee shop in the West Village, a place he’d gone to with Lila when they were first dating.
He arrived at the coffee shop 10 minutes early, and he saw Lila sitting in a booth in the back, staring out the window. She was wearing a black blazer and a white blouse, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She looked calm, confident, and completely in control, just like she had at the board meeting.
Ethan walked over to the booth and sat down across from her. “What do you want, Lila?” he said, his voice cold and formal.
Lila turned to him, her eyes serious. “Ethan, I need your help,” she said. “The Cole Development Group is in trouble. My father’s old business partner, Mr. Henderson, is trying to take over the company. He’s been buying up shares behind my back, and he has enough votes to remove me as CEO at the next board meeting.”
Ethan stared at her, surprised. He’d always hated Mr. Henderson, a cold, ruthless businessman who had tried to take over Cole Development Group when Ethan’s father was still alive. “Why are you telling me this?” he said. “You fired me. You don’t need my help.”
Lila leaned forward, her eyes earnest. “I know I fired you, Ethan, but you’re the only person who knows how Mr. Henderson operates. He’s been trying to take over the company for years, and he knows all of my father’s old tricks. I need your help to stop him.”
Ethan thought for a second, then shook his head. “I can’t help you, Lila. I’m not working for Cole Development Group anymore. I have a new job at Goldman Sachs, and I don’t want to go back.”
Lila sighed, then pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to him. It was a check for $1 million, made out to Ethan Cole. “This is a retainer,” she said. “If you help me stop Mr. Henderson, I’ll pay you another $1 million when the deal is done. You’ll also get a seat on the board of Cole Development Group, and you’ll be in charge of all of the company’s commercial real estate projects.”
Ethan stared at the check, his eyes wide with surprise. He’d never seen that much money in his life. “What’s the catch?” he said.
Lila smiled, a small, sharp smile that made Ethan’s stomach turn. “There’s no catch, Ethan. I just need your help. You’re the only person who can stop Mr. Henderson. He’s been trying to take over the company for years, and he’s always one step ahead of me. I need someone who knows his tactics, someone who can outsmart him.”
Ethan thought for a second, then nodded. He’d always hated Mr. Henderson, and he wanted to get revenge for the way Lila had treated him. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll help you. But I want to be in charge of all of the company’s commercial real estate projects. No exceptions.”
Lila smiled, and Ethan felt a twinge of anger. She was using him, just like she had when they were married. But he didn’t care. He wanted revenge, and he wanted to get his old life back. “Deal,” she said. “I’ll send you the details of the board meeting tomorrow. You need to be there.”
Ethan walked out of the coffee shop, the check in his hand. He’d just made a deal with the devil, but he didn’t care. He was going to get revenge on Mr. Henderson, and he was going to get his old life back. He walked over to the subway station and took the train back to his apartment in Brooklyn. He had a lot of work to do, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was in control.
The next day, Ethan received an email from Lila with the details of the board meeting. It was scheduled for the following week at the Willis Tower, and all of the company’s top executives were invited. Ethan spent the next few days reviewing all of the company’s financial documents, looking for any signs of fraud or corruption that Mr. Henderson might have committed. He found a lot of it: Mr. Henderson had been siphoning money out of the company’s accounts for years, using the money to buy luxury cars and vacation homes. He’d also been bribing local politicians to approve his real estate projects, which had cost the company millions of dollars in fines.
Ethan compiled a report of all of Mr. Henderson’s illegal activities, and he sent it to Lila the night before the board meeting. She called him that night, her voice trembling with excitement. “This is perfect,” she said. “This is exactly what we need to stop him.”
The next morning, Ethan arrived at the Willis Tower early, and he met Lila in the lobby. She was wearing a black blazer and a white blouse, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She looked calm, confident, and completely in control. “Thank you for helping me, Ethan,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Ethan smiled, and Lila felt a twinge of guilt. She was using him, just like she had when they were married, but she didn’t care. She needed his help to stop Mr. Henderson, and she was willing to do anything to get it. “Let’s go in,” she said. “The board meeting is about to start.”
They walked into the boardroom, and all of the executives turned to look at them. Mr. Henderson was sitting at the head of the table, a smug smile on his face. He’d already won, he thought. He was going to take over the company, and he was going to make Lila regret ever trying to stop him.
“Good morning, everyone,” Lila said, her voice loud and clear. “Thank you for coming to this emergency board meeting. I have some important news to share.” She turned to Ethan, who was standing behind her, and nodded. “Ethan Cole, the former CEO of Cole Development Group, has uncovered some serious allegations of fraud and corruption against Mr. Henderson. He’s compiled a report that details all of Mr. Henderson’s illegal activities, and I’d like to share it with everyone.”
Ethan walked over to the table and handed the report to the secretary, who passed it out to all of the executives. Mr. Henderson’s face turned bright red, and he stood up, his hands shaking. “This is a lie,” he said. “Ethan Cole is trying to ruin my reputation. He’s bitter because he was fired from the company.”
Lila turned to him, her eyes cold and unreadable. “Is it a lie, Mr. Henderson? Let’s see.” She turned to the secretary, who pulled up a spreadsheet on the projector screen. It was a list of all of the money that Mr. Henderson had siphoned out of the company’s accounts over the past five years, along with receipts for the luxury cars and vacation homes he’d bought with the money. “You’ve been stealing from the company for years, Mr. Henderson. You’ve been bribing local politicians to approve your real estate projects, and you’ve cost the company millions of dollars in fines. You should be in jail, not sitting at this table.”
The executives around the table stared at the spreadsheet, their eyes wide with surprise. One of them, a middle-aged man with a gray beard, leaned over to whisper to the woman next to him. “I can’t believe it. He’s been stealing from the company.”
Mr. Henderson sat down, his face pale. He’d been caught, and he knew it. He’d worked his entire life to build a reputation as a successful businessman, and now it was all gone. “I didn’t do it,” he said, his voice breaking. “It’s a setup. Ethan Cole set me up.”
Lila turned to the chairman of the board, a retired businessman named Mr. Thompson. “Mr. Thompson, I motion that we remove Mr. Henderson as a member of the board of directors,” she said. “He’s committed serious crimes against the company, and he’s no longer fit to serve.”
Mr. Thompson nodded, and the other executives voted unanimously to remove Mr. Henderson from the board. Lila turned to Ethan, her eyes serious. “Thank you for your help, Ethan,” she said. “You’ve done a great job.”
Ethan smiled, and Lila felt a twinge of guilt. She was using him, just like she had when they were married, but she didn’t care. She needed his help to run the company, and she was willing to do anything to get it. “You’re welcome,” he said. “I’m glad I could help.”
After the board meeting, Lila walked over to Ethan and handed him a check for $1 million. “This is the first payment,” she said. “I’ll send you the second payment when we close the deal on the waterfront development in Brooklyn.”
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Ethan stared at the check, his eyes wide with surprise. He’d never seen that much money in his life. “Thank you,” he said. “I really appreciate it.”
Lila smiled, and Ethan felt a twinge of anger. She was using him, just like she had when they were married, but he didn’t care. He was going to get his old life back, and he was going to be rich. He walked out of the Willis Tower, the check in his hand, and began to walk to the subway station. He had a lot of work to do, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was in control.
