Chapter 16 - The Hidden Beneficiary
By 11:30 AM, the boardroom was completely cleared of its former executive team.
Only Clara, Mark, and the court-appointed independent auditor remained inside the vast room.
"You executed that flawlessly, Mrs. Sterling," the auditor remarked, collecting the signed resignations into his briefcase.
"Thank you, Mr. Vance," Clara replied, shaking his hand. "Please ensure the public press release goes out before the stock market closes."
As the auditor left the room, Mark stood up slowly, leaning against the glass wall overlooking the city skyline.
"You're going to sell the company, aren't you?" Mark asked quietly.
"No," Clara answered, walking over to stand beside him. "I'm turning it into an employee-owned cooperative."
Mark turned his head to look at her in utter shock. "That destroys eighty percent of the family's equity value!"
"It destroys eighty percent of the wealth your mother used to control people," Clara corrected him firmly. "Lily will still have more than enough to live a peaceful life."
Suddenly, Clara's phone vibrated on the table, displaying a private caller ID from a federal detention facility.
May you like
She answered it, placing the call on speaker so Mark could hear as well.
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