Chapter 5 - The Unraveling
"For the past fourteen months," I said, my voice remaining ice-cold and steady, "Montalvo Global's discretionary accounts have been systematically drained to finance personal real estate holdings in Weston and luxury assets managed outside corporate oversight."
Camila finally broke, pushing past Alexander into the room. "This is fake! She doctored those records! Mr. Montalvo, tell them! Tell them she's just a bitter, jealous—"
"Quiet, Ms. Reyes," Arthur Vance interrupted, his voice dropping into a lethal, authoritative register. "You are currently standing in a corporate board meeting of a publicly traded firm, shouting accusations at the Chief Executive Officer."
Camila froze. The words choked in her throat. She looked around the room, expecting someone—anyone—to come to her defense, but every eye in the boardroom was fixed on her with cold contempt.
Alexander buried his face in his hands, defeated, realizing that no amount of smooth talking could dig him out of this grave.
"Effective immediately," I continued, standing up slowly from my chair and looking down the length of the table, "Camila Reyes is terminated for gross corporate misconduct, asset misappropriation, and hostile workplace violations."
I turned my gaze toward Alexander, who looked older, smaller, and utterly ruined.
"And as for Alexander Montalvo," I said softly, the silence in the room pressing down like a physical weight, "his executive powers are suspended pending a formal federal fraud investigation."
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I reached out, picking up my unbranded handbag, and turned toward the private exit leading to the executive suite.
Before I could take a single step, the heavy oak doors of the boardroom burst open. Two men in dark suits, carrying federal badges and official asset-seizure warrants, walked briskly into the room, their eyes scanning the table before locking directly onto Alexander.
