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"I AM YOUR CEO!" Warren thrashes his arms through the air, gesturing to his entire board, hair disheveled and surely falling out before our very eyes. "YOU ABIDE BY MY RULES, WHETHER YOU LIKE THEM OR NOT! I OWN OVER FIFTY PERCENT OF THIS COMPANY'S SHARES! THERE'S NO DETHRONING ME, EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO..."
I sigh, tuning into his tantrum, but not before executing a crucial step in the third and final phase of my glorious plan.
Send a single text to my mother.
Juliana: We're ready for her.
Leaning onto the podium, I close my eyes, listening as Warren throws himself into further hysteria, shaking the glass behind me. I listen and listen, humming along to its beat, until my eyes open by some outside force.
A presence.
Judging by how the board members veer their gazes, I'm not the only one who senses it. Every person in this room stops and stares, anticipating something as the crowd of employees parts in two.
That is, everyone but Warren, until...
Even he turns his attention, just as the crowd breaks, revealing a woman of auburn hair and unrivaled authority, who has Warren sinking into a chair that's not even at the head of the table.
Briefcase in hand, Lauren Astor struts through the crowd, flaunting her designer pantsuit with every step, and it's like the world stops breathing, until those perfectly manicured fingernails grace the door handle.
Our family's lawyer, whom I met last night and aided in devising such a plan. Although a bit intimidating at first, Lauren is like all the little angels on my shoulders fused into one person. A compassionate soul who, after hearing my family's story, agreed to take our case on Pro Bono, despite her obscenely high retainer as a senior partner at Astor Associates that specializes in data privacy.
The door seals behind her, caging Warren in with a predator. As she nears him, he shies away, until he's craning his head up at her.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Yes," he says dryly. "I think everyone in this room does. So, get on with it. Why are you here, Lauren? Silicon Avenue must be dreadfully boring as of late, and all the drama surrounding your family must've blown over, for you to waste your time on sexual misconduct allegations with flimsy grounds."
As if he were scum stuck on her stiletto, her gaze descends upon him, while somehow managing to tilt her chin upwards, proudly. A signature move, no doubt.
"We'll see how flimsy a jury thinks that video is, after I call you to the stands." All the color drains from his face. "That's right, this matter will be settled in court. On behalf of the Brooks' family, you are hereby served, for your crimes against Amber Brooks and also her daughter, Juliana—or did you think your egregious copyright infringement on the gaming world's largest stage would go unnoticed?"
"Fine!" He bursts from his chair. "Serve me, then. Represent that bitch and her daughter." His vicious gaze swings over to me, but it's short-lived, as his aimless stomping picks back up. He breezes past Lauren, who catches my gaze with a wink. "That's why you came all this way, huh?! Serve me some fucking papers that I'll just hand to my team of lawyers—"
"No."
He stops in a random spot, chest heaving.
"Your lawyers have already received the papers. I'm here—in this room—for an entirely different reason. Of a more... personal courtesy, if you will."
"Fucking lawyers, always speaking in riddles. What personal courtesy?"
"Aiding in a transition of power."
Several board members perk up.
Warren hesitates... "What the hell do you mean by that?"
She only smiles, her teeth blinding between her red lipstick. "Exactly what you think."
The room stills, awaiting Warren's implosion, except... his roar never comes. Only a snicker. Quiet and harmless sounding, like a comedian winning over his chuckle. And then another. Until they're pouring out of him like waves, tears stinging his eyes, as he pounds the table, doubling over the oaken slab in laughter.
"WHEW! Which university handed you that law degree, again? I think you may want to consider getting a refund. Sorry to break it to you, sweetie, but I own over fifty percent shares. Which means—let me put it plainly for you—there's no voting me out as CEO, no matter how much they despise me."
Lauren waits out his laughter, unimpressed. "Thank you for that enlightening summary, but you forgot one slim detail."
"Sure, sure. And what's that?" he drawls, actually rolling his eyes in a board meeting.
"The board has the power to relinquish your duties as CEO, if they elect a Kingston heir, with an eighty percent majority vote. In this case, one of your two sons."
