Chapter 2 - The Clearing of the Board
Evan’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a flash of irritated aristocratic arrogance.
"Excuse me?" Evan scoffed, stepping between the doctor and the bed, puffing out his chest. "Do you know who I am? I am the primary executive officer of Mercer Logistics, and this is my wife. We aren't going anywhere until we finish our private conversation."
Dr. Marcus didn't blink. He simply nodded toward the security guards.
Before Evan could raise a hand, the two guards stepped forward with practiced, immovable precision, each grabbing one of Evan’s arms and wrenching him backward away from the bed.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Evan shrieked, his face turning an ugly shade of mottled red as his designer jacket bunched up around his neck. "Unhand me right now, you rent-a-cops! I'll have your licenses revoked by noon!"
Diane gasped, clutching her pearls as if she were witnessing a public execution. "This is an outrage! Richard, do something! Call our corporate counsel!"
Richard stepped forward, his face flushed with righteous fury, pointing a shaking finger at Dr. Marcus. "You are making a catastrophic mistake, Doctor. We are major donors to this hospital. We know the board members by their first names. You will regret—"
"Mr. Mercer," a deep, gravelly voice interrupted from behind the security guards.
The tall man in the bespoke suit stepped forward into the center of the room. It was James Vance—no relation to my attackers, but rather the ruthless forensic accountant and corporate recovery specialist I had secretly retained three years ago when I first suspected Richard was bleeding the company dry. James popped the brass latches of his heavy leather briefcase with a crisp, echoing snap.
Richard stopped talking. His eyes widened slightly as he recognized James. The color drained from my father-in-law’s face, leaving him looking like a corpse in a tailored suit.
"James," Richard choked out, his voice dropping an octave. "What... what are you doing here?"
"Executing a corporate asset freeze, Richard," James said smoothly, pulling a thick stack of court-stamped documents from his briefcase. "Ordered by the Superior Court at 08:30 AM this morning under Section 4-B of the corporate bylaws. All operational accounts, signature authorities, and executive privileges held by Evan and Richard Mercer are hereby suspended pending an immediate federal audit."
Evan stopped thrashing against the security guards. His jaw dropped. "Suspended? Are you insane? Mercer Logistics is my company! Claire is just a silent partner!"
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I slowly pushed myself up against the pillows, pulling the hospital blanket down slightly to reveal my cast. I looked down at my husband with a cold, razor-sharp smile that made the air in the room drop ten degrees.
"It was never your company, Evan," I said quietly, the words cutting through the sterile room like a scalpel. "You were just the frontman. And your fifteen minutes of fame are officially over."
