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One by one, eyes slide down the table, to the near-identical brothers seated at one another's side. Hayden smiles, proudly—not back their way.
But at Elias.
Warren follows their gazes. "No, no... that's not true."
Lauren only shakes her head, chuckling.
"Tell them," he warns.
"Tell them what?" she sing-songs. "The truth? Let me recap. The board may initiate a vote at any ti—"
"DON'T FUCKING LIE!" He storms toward her, not slowing his pace, intending to intimidate her, only to grind to a halt an inch before colliding with her as she stands her ground. "You have no bases to—"
"Actually, I do." She throws her briefcase on the table. Unclasping the hooks, she slaps down a hefty packet on the table. "Check the board's bylaws yourself. Section fifty-two, article six. In fact, why don't you all?" More packets slide across the oak, one landing between Hayden and Elias.
Grumbling up a storm, Warren tears through the packet, only for his shoulders to crumble... then harden back to their regular steel in seconds. "This is a fucking lie," he seethes, as the packets get passed around. "A fabricated, false document aimed to—"
Hayden bolts to his feet, sending his chair soaring behind him. "All in favor of electing Elias as CEO, please rise!"
Gasps ring out, not just in the conference room, but from behind the glass. For a moment, none dare to move, earning a wicked grin from Warren. "That's right. You're all so righteous until your profits are at stake. No one wants to take the risk on an untested young—"
A member rises, the woman in the ebony suit. Her gaze is defiant.
Warren scoffs. "I've always known you've hated me, Gloria. Well, guess what? No one ever sides with your proposals, and they won't start now—"
Another member stands. A man who avoids his stare completely.
"That's just great, Bill—"
And another. Then another. So quickly Warren doesn't have time for a snarky comment. One after the other, members rise to their feet confidently, earning cheers from outside the glass, as Elias just sits there, stunned, crumbling into his seat with the most sincere look on his face, staring down the long line of members.
All standing unanimous.
Mind blown, still standing behind the safety of my podium, I watch as the glass rattles amid the roaring crowd, prying snickers from those inside the conference room. Employees jump for joy, laughing and slapping their hands against the glass. You'd think it's New Year's Eve or something.
Warren must not be one for parties, because the sight absolutely blows a fuse with him, to a level I didn't know he could reach at this point. His face is impossibly red. Hair sticking straight up like a mad scientist. And his feet clomp hard enough to puncture right through the carpet as he bellows at the top of his lungs, throwing the biggest of all hissy fits.
All while I get the most comical view, from my vantage point. I watch it all, see it all coming, almost in slow motion.
The unhinged tirade. Tearing the paper packets, flinging them into the air. Spitting gut-wrenching words at both of his sons. And the security team splitting through the crowd, bursting through the door, before tackling Warren.
"Get off me!" He writhes against the ground, his stomach spilling below his collared shirt, rising more with his every movement. "GET OFF ME!"
"Stop resisting," they order calmly, repeating several times, to no avail, before slamming his cheek into the ground, bundling his wrists behind his back.
Slowly—oh-so very slowly—Elias rounds the table, taking his seat at the head, right above the whole scene.
"Tell them to get off me!" Warren screeches, looking up at his son, when metal against metal clinks through the air.
The guards pause and look to the man seated on the throne, waiting for orders...
Elias leans back, crosses his feet at the ankles, the soles of his feet two inches from Warren's face. He struggles angrily, as his son utters the first command of his reign.
"Cuff him."
Squeals erupt from outside, and they only rage on, combusting into hysterical fits, as the guards cuff and haul Warren to his feet, dragging him until he abandons his defiance and uses his legs. On their way out the door, Elias stands, giving one last command...
"He's never to set foot in our lobby, ever again."
