Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Execution**
Inside the glittering ballroom, the string quartet had just begun a lively Vivaldi movement when Everett’s cell phone buzzed violently in his breast pocket.
Annoyed by the interruption during his conversation with the senior vice president of Chase Manhattan, Everett pulled out his phone, expecting a congratulatory message regarding the new West Coast shipping acquisition. Instead, his screen flashed an urgent push notification from the Blackstone Crest corporate portal:
*CRITICAL ALERT: User account locked. Security clearance revoked. Please contact system administrator.*
Frowning, Everett tapped the icon, attempting to log in with his executive credentials. Access Denied. Error 404: Executive Privileges Terminated.
“Strange,” Everett muttered under his breath, tapping furiously at the screen. “Must be a server glitch.”
“Everything alright, Everett?” the VP of Chase Manhattan asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, yes, just some minor IT hiccups at the office,” Everett forced a tight, polite smile, sliding the phone back into his pocket. But a cold drop of sweat began to bead at his hairline.
Just then, his phone buzzed again. Not a push notification this time—an incoming call from Arthur Pendelton, the chairman of the executive oversight committee.
Everett quickly swiped to answer, pitching his voice into its most charming executive register. “Arthur! Perfect timing, I wanted to discuss the Q3 projections with—'”
“Shut up, Everett,” Arthur’s voice boomed through the speaker, cold, sharp, and utterly devoid of its usual warmth. “Where the hell are you?”
Everett blinked, taken aback. “I’m... I’m at the Hudson Yards gala with our strategic partners. Arthur, what’s going on? My corporate login just locked me out—”
“Your login didn't glitch, you arrogant fool,” Arthur snapped. “An emergency board resolution was executed thirty minutes ago by the majority shareholder. You have been formally terminated from your position as CEO of Blackstone Crest Holdings for gross misconduct and breach of contract.”
The ambient noise of the ballroom seemed to instantly vanish from Everett’s ears. The glass of champagne in his hand shook so violently that amber droplets sloshed over the rim.
“T-Terminated?” Everett stammered, his voice cracking slightly, drawing curious glances from Madison and the surrounding guests. “That’s impossible! I hold the board in the palm of my hand! Who authorized this?! What shareholder has the power to—?”
“The majority shareholder, Everett,” Arthur said with chilling finality. “Evelyn Hart. The woman you and your mother spent the last hour publicly abusing and humiliating.”
The phone slipped from Everett’s fingers, crashing down onto the marble floor and shattering into a dozen pieces.
Madison blinked, grabbing his arm. “Everett? Babe, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Before Everett could answer, three men in sharp black suits—corporate security officers dispatched directly from Blackstone headquarters—walked purposefully across the ballroom floor. They bypassed the security ropes, ignored the gasps of the elite guests, and marched straight up to Everett and Madison.
The lead security officer, a massive man with a stoic expression, pulled out a laminated document and thrust it toward Everett’s chest.
May you like
“Mr. Everett Vance,” the officer announced loudly enough for half the room to hear. “You are hereby served with a formal notice of termination, a federal asset freeze injunction, and a mandatory eviction order for the Greenwich estate. Surrender your corporate keys, your company phone, and your personal credit cards immediately.”
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