Chapter 8
At nine o'clock that morning, the executive boardroom on the top floor of Vella Tower was filled to capacity.
Fifteen board members sat around the polished mahogany table, murmuring nervously among themselves.
When Evelyn walked into the room, dressed in an immaculate dark charcoal suit, the room fell dead silent.
She took her seat at the head of the table, placing her tablet flat on the glass surface.
"Good morning, members of the board," Evelyn opened, her tone sharp and completely commanding.
"As of 6:00 AM today, Arthur Vella has been removed from his position as Honorary Chairman."
A senior board member, a long-time ally of Arthur named Thomas Sterling, cleared his throat nervously.
"Evelyn, with all due respect, Arthur founded this firm forty years ago," Thomas noted cautiously.
"Removing him without a formal shareholder vote could create massive instability in our European markets."
Evelyn tapped her tablet screen, projecting a massive spreadsheet onto the wall monitors surrounding the room.
The screen displayed a complex web of shell companies registered in Panama, Belize, and the Cayman Islands.
"Over the past decade, Arthur siphoned eighty-four million dollars out of our operational capital," Evelyn revealed.
"Every single dollar went into unapproved real estate holdings and failed investments managed by my brother."
Thomas looked at the glowing numbers on the screen, his jaw dropping in absolute speechlessness.
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"If we do not sever ties with Arthur immediately, the SEC will indict this entire board by Friday," Evelyn stated coldly.
"Now... are there any further objections to his removal?"
