Chapter 8 - The Legal Checkmate
Mark didn't lose his temper. He didn't tighten his grip. Instead, a slow, icy smile touched the corners of his mouth. He released Drake’s lapels, stepping back and straightening his own cuffs with absolute calm.
“Acquisition documents require two things, Harrison,” Mark said smoothly, pulling a sleek tablet from his coat pocket. “A valid corporate seal, and an uncompromised board majority.”
Drake stumbled backward, adjusting his jacket with a nervous twitch. “What are you talking about?”
“While you were busy hiding behind shell companies and paying off Victoria, my uncle Arthur—who happens to own forty-two percent of your voting shares as a silent partner—called an emergency shareholder meeting at 8:00 AM this morning,” Mark explained, holding up the tablet screen. “Your board has just voted unanimously to strip you of your CEO title, freeze your corporate assets, and audit every subsidiary you’ve managed for the last decade.”
Drake’s face went chalk-white. He snatched the tablet from Mark’s hand, his eyes scanning the certified legal filings stamped by the federal trade commission just three minutes prior.
“No... no, this is impossible!” Drake roared, throwing the tablet across the room. “I built this company!”
“You built an empire on blackmail and poison,” Mark said coldly, turning toward the private elevator. “And your empire just collapsed.”
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As the elevator doors opened, two federal marshals stepped out into the penthouse hallway, their badges gleaming under the recessed lighting. They bypassed Mark and walked straight toward Harrison Drake, slapping steel handcuffs onto his wrists before he could even draw another breath.
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