Chapter 8 - The Counter-Strike
The emergency board meeting of Moretti Global was scheduled for 8:00 AM in the glass-walled penthouse boardroom overlooking Lake Michigan.
When Luca walked into the room, he wasn't wearing the look of a cornered man. He walked with the relaxed, predatory grace of a lion entering an enclosure full of panicked gazelles.
Seated at the long mahogany table were the heavy hitters of the board—including Arthur Sterling, Evelyn’s father, who held a significant block of voting shares and sat at the center with a smug, victorious grin.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” Luca said smoothly, pulling out the chair at the head of the table and sitting down. He placed a thick manila folder directly in front of him.
Arthur leaned forward, folding his hands. “Save the pleasantries, Luca. In light of the scandalous photographs circulating among Chicago media outlets this morning regarding your undisclosed illegitimate heirs, and the severe reputational damage inflicted upon my daughter, the executive committee is prepared to invoke Clause 14-B of the corporate bylaws.”
“Which is?” Luca asked, raising an eyebrow.
“A vote of no confidence,” Arthur smiled coldly. “You will step down as CEO effective immediately, transfer your voting proxies to the executive board pending divorce proceedings, and accept a silent advisory role with zero equity control.”
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the older board members who had long envied Luca’s rapid, aggressive rise to power.
Luca didn't blink. He slowly opened the manila folder.
“That’s a very impressive power grab, Arthur,” Luca said, his voice dripping with icy amusement. “Except for one minor detail.”
“And what’s that?” Arthur scoffed.
“You assumed I didn't see this coming,” Luca said, sliding several documents across the polished wood toward Arthur and the legal counsel. “Let’s review what’s actually in that folder. First, audited financial records proving that over the last four years, Arthur Sterling’s private real estate firm embezzled twelve million dollars from Moretti Global subsidiary accounts to cover failed speculative ventures in suburban developments.”
Arthur’s smug smile vanished instantly. All the color drained from his face, leaving him looking like a corpse.
“Second,” Luca continued, his voice rising in volume, capturing the absolute attention of every executive in the room, “certified affidavits from three former executive assistants detailing how Evelyn Shaw systematically utilized company funds for personal luxury acquisitions while blackmailing junior partners to secure votes for her father’s proxy block.”
“This—this is forgery! Lies!” Arthur stammered, standing up so fast his chair crashed backward onto the carpet.
“It’s federal wire fraud, Arthur,” Marcus Vance chimed in calmly, stepping out from the shadows near the door, holding a second folder containing federal subpoena notices. “Copies of these documents were delivered to the U.S. Attorney’s office thirty minutes ago. Federal agents are executing search warrants at your residential properties as we speak.”
The boardroom erupted into chaos. Several board members pushed their chairs back, shouting over one another in panic.
Luca remained perfectly still. He locked his dark, piercing eyes onto Arthur Sterling’s terrified face.
May you like
“You wanted a war, Arthur?” Luca asked softly, leaning forward. “You picked the wrong man. Now, you have two choices: you and your daughter sign unconditional divorce settlement papers relinquishing all claims to Moretti Global assets by noon today, or I let the federal prosecutors throw both of you into a cell beside your co-conspirators.”
---
