Chapter 4 - The Corporate Guillotine
Panic exploded behind my eyes, but I forced my breathing to remain steady.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed my private security chief.
"Lock down Marcus's location and intercept him before he reaches his house," I ordered into the phone.
My parents looked at me as though I had completely lost my mind.
"Who are you calling from that cheap prepaid phone?" my father mocked.
"I am calling the security team that protects the CEO of Apex Holdings," I answered.
I walked past them and threw open my apartment door.
"Get out of my home before I have you arrested for trespassing and conspiracy to commit kidnapping," I warned them.
My mother scoffed, but they both backed out into the hallway when they saw the lethal look in my eyes.
I ran down the stairs, jumped into my rattling car, and sped toward Marcus's corporate office building.
If he wanted to destroy my life, I was going to sever the head of his entire career.
I parked illegally in front of the massive glass skyscraper and flashed a black keycard to the security desk.
I bypassed the reception area and took the executive elevator directly to the top floor.
Marcus was the Vice President of Acquisitions for a tech firm called Horizon Dynamics.
I burst through the heavy oak doors of the main boardroom.
Marcus was standing at the head of a massive mahogany table, giving a presentation to a dozen wealthy investors.
"What is the meaning of this?" Marcus shouted, his face turning red with embarrassment.
"Security, remove this crazy woman from the building immediately!" he demanded.
The CEO of Horizon Dynamics, an older man named Mr. Vance, stood up from his chair.
"Stand down, Marcus," Mr. Vance commanded.
Marcus looked at his boss in absolute confusion.
"Sir, this is my unstable sister, she is just having a mental breakdown," Marcus lied to the room.
Mr. Vance ignored him and respectfully pulled out the chair at the absolute head of the table.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Vance, it is an honor to finally meet our new majority shareholder," the CEO said to me.
The entire room gasped as I confidently took the seat of power.
Marcus dropped his laser pointer, his jaw hanging open in sheer disbelief.
"You cannot be the secret buyer," Marcus whispered, his arrogant facade completely crumbling.
"I am the buyer, Marcus, and my first act as owner is terminating your employment with zero severance," I announced clearly.
The investors began to pack up their briefcases, realizing the old regime was officially dead.
Marcus fell to his knees in front of the table, tears of panic welling in his eyes.
"You cannot fire me, Elena, I need that corporate bonus to pay off some very dangerous people!" he begged.
"You should have thought about your future before you told my son he didn't have one," I replied coldly.
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Marcus suddenly stopped crying and looked up at me with a terrifying, unhinged smile.
"It doesn't matter if you fire me, Elena, because I already sold the company's most valuable prototype to the black market."
