185 He Took His Mistress to a Luxury Island—Then Saw His Pregnant Wife Signing Papers With America’s Youngest Billionaire to Take Everything He Built / Chapter 25 / 70

Chapter 25 - The Board's Ultimatum

By eight o’clock the following morning, the private suite felt less like a sanctuary for a newborn and more like a high-stakes war room.

Grace sat in an armchair near the window, Julian cradled securely in her arms. She looked exhausted, dark circles bruised beneath her eyes, but her gaze remained intensely focused. On the coffee table in front of her lay three separate stacks of documents: the Swiss trust agreement, Declan’s corporate defense filing, and Ethan’s formal declaration of total renunciation.

Declan was on his third encrypted phone call of the morning, pacing the perimeter of the room. His voice was low, clipped, and razor-sharp.

"I don't care what the European desk is reporting," Declan snapped into his headset. "Tell the board that Pierce Capital's liquidity reserves are more than capable of handling an offshore short attack. Nobody dumps shares before the New York bell. If a single board member leaks this to Bloomberg, I will personally invoke their non-compete clauses."

He cut the call and ripped the earpiece out, running a hand over his face. For the first time, Declan looked truly rattled.

"The board held an emergency session at seven," Declan said, turning to Grace. "Marcus’s lawyers didn't wait for noon. They leaked a blind memo to our primary institutional lenders in Frankfurt. The rumor is that Pierce Capital is exposed to an eighty-five million dollar legacy liability tied to our founding shares."

Grace looked down at Julian, who was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware that his mere existence was rocking international markets.

"What is the board demanding, Declan?" Grace asked quietly.

Declan hesitated. His eyes shifted toward Ethan, who was standing quietly near the bassinet, looking like a man who had stripped himself of every defense.

"They want me to enforce our joint venture agreement, Grace," Declan admitted, his voice tight. "Under section twelve of our partnership contract, Pierce Capital has the legal right of first refusal on any foreign capital injected into your family assets. If you accept Julian’s Swiss trust, my board wants me to seize voting control of those funds to neutralize the short threat."

"You can't do that," Ethan spoke up, his voice firm and steady. "If Grace signs those funds over to Pierce Capital's control, Marcus's covenants will trigger instantly. The entire eighty-five million will convert into an aggressive dump against your stock. It won't save you, Declan. It will trigger a mutual financial suicide."

"And if she refuses the trust entirely?" Declan challenged, stepping toward Ethan. "Marcus’s proxy funds will still initiate the short sell, and Pierce Capital will take a massive hit! The only difference is Grace walks away with nothing to protect Julian's future!"

"Enough!" Grace’s voice cut through the room like a whip.

Both men stopped, looking at her.

Grace stood up slowly, carefully adjusting the swaddle around Julian. Her expression was completely devoid of panic. It was the same cold, calculating look she had worn on the day she signed the documents that stripped Ethan of his company.

"Neither of you is making this decision for my son," Grace said, her eyes boring into Declan, then Ethan. "Declan, you have been my shield and my greatest ally. You gave me the power to stand up when my life was shattered. But I will not allow your corporate war to dictate my child's heritage."

She turned her gaze to Ethan.

"And you," Grace continued, her voice softer but no less intense. "You spent years running from your father’s ghost, burying yourself in arrogance and lies until you lost everything. If your father wants to play this game from his deathbed, he doesn't get to do it through lawyers and proxies."

"Grace, what are you saying?" Ethan asked.

"I’m saying no one is signing anything at noon," Grace replied coldly. "Declan, use your jet. Ethan, pack your father's old personal records. We aren't sending DNA samples to Zurich."