Chapter 5 - DAWN OVER WALL STREET
Morning sunlight broke over the towering glass skyscrapers of lower Manhattan, painting Wall Street in sharp shades of gold and steel.
Inside the thirty-fifth-floor executive boardroom of Vance Global, ten senior directors sat in uneasy silence.
The mahogany conference table, polished to a mirror finish, reflected the tense expressions of men accustomed to absolute power.
The heavy double doors swung open, and Victoria entered wearing a razor-sharp charcoal blazer over her white silk blouse.
Arthur Vance followed closely behind her, carrying a heavy leather briefcase stamped with federal seal emblems.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Victoria announced, taking the leather high-backed chair at the absolute head of the table.
Chief Executive Officer Richard Vance—Braden's uncle—stood up from his seat, his face flushed with furious indignation.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Richard demanded, slamming his hands onto the tabletop. "You have no seat on this board!"
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Victoria crossed her legs elegantly, resting her hands on the polished wood before speaking.
"Sit down, Richard, before I have security throw you out the window," Victoria stated evenly.
