Chapter 2 - The True Owner
Miriam jumped up from her chair and knocked her wine glass onto the expensive rug.
She aggressively demanded to know why the police were threatening her successful son.
Commissioner Fletcher did not even look at the screaming woman.
He kept his cold gaze locked entirely on Garrick's trembling hands.
Garrick nervously adjusted his silk tie and tried to laugh the situation off as a massive misunderstanding.
He looked at the board members and proudly reminded them that he was becoming the Chief Operating Officer tomorrow.
The Chairman of the Board finally spoke, his voice dripping with absolute disgust.
He informed Garrick that his promotion had just been permanently canceled.
Garrick's face flushed with intense anger as he slammed his fist onto the dining table.
He loudly declared that the board could not fire him because his family owned the majority of the company.
I slowly stood up from my chair and looked my arrogant son-in-law directly in the eyes.
I calmly corrected him and stated that his family only owned twelve percent of the company shares.
Garrick sneered and confidently claimed that his loyal investors controlled the rest of the voting power.
I reached into my designer purse and pulled out a thick stack of legal documents.
I dropped the heavy paperwork directly onto the center of his dinner plate.
I revealed that I was the anonymous ghost investor who had secretly saved his company from bankruptcy two decades ago.
Garrick stared at the signature on the top page, his eyes widening in sheer terror.
I explained that my family trust owned thirty-eight percent of the shares outright.
I then pulled a second folder from my purse and tossed it to the Chairman.
I informed Garrick that I had spent the last three hours quietly acquiring proxy votes from every single minor shareholder.
I now held absolute legal control over sixty-five percent of Ashford Industries.
Garrick realized in that exact moment that I had the power to strip him of his wealth, his title, and his entire future.
He frantically turned to his mother and begged her to do something to stop this madness.
Miriam picked up a heavy silver carving knife from the table and pointed it directly at my chest.
She screamed that I was trying to steal their legacy and that she would kill me before she let that happen.
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Before the police officers could draw their weapons, a new voice echoed from the hallway.
Dr. Chen walked into the dining room carrying a black medical bag, completely freezing at the sight of the knife.
