Chapter 597
Chapter 597:
Parker sneered, leaning back slightly to create distance. “Your thuggery won’t work here, Alistair. This is a boardroom, not a back alley. We have the votes p>
“Do you?” Skye asked. She placed the briefcase on the table and opened it.
“Who is she?” a board member demanded. “This is a closed meeting p>
“I am Skye Sterling,” she said, her voice projecting clearly. “And I represent the majority debt holder of this subsidiary. You all know who really funds the expansion projects here p>
A murmur went through the room. They knew the money came from Oracle Holdings, but seeing Skye Sterling claim that authority made them sit up straighter.
“I have analyzed the personal portfolios of every man at this table,” Skye said, tapping a tablet. “Mr. Lee, your shipping company is technically bankrupt. Mr. Gupta, your real estate holdings in Dubai are underwater. Mr. Silva, you owe the cartel ten million dollars p>
The men looked at each other, pale.
“Parker promised to bail you out with stolen Thorne money,” Skye continued. “But that money is frozen. I froze it ten minutes ago p>
Parker stood up. “She’s lying! The transfers went through p>
“Check your phones,” Skye challenged.
The board members checked. Groans of despair filled the room.
Insufficient funds.
“However,” Skye said, smiling sweetly, “Oracle Holdings is liquid. Very liquid. I am prepared to offer a personal buyout of your shares in the Port Valor division—at twenty percent above market value. Cash. Today p>
She hit a button on the screen.
PING.
Every phone in the room chimed with a notification: a pending wire transfer. All they had to do was sign.
“Vote for Parker, and you go bankrupt waiting for money that will never come,” Skye said. “Vote for Alistair, and you walk out of here rich p>
𝖳𝗁і𝘴 𝖼𝗈𝘯𝘵еո𝘵 is 𝖺𝗎thе𝗻𝘵i𝘤 f𝗿оm 𝘣𝗲𝗹𝘯o𝘃е𝘭s.сo𝗆
Greed was a powerful motivator. Fear was strong, but greed was relentless.
Mr. Lee lowered his hand. “I vote against the motion p>
“Me too,” Mr. Gupta said, reaching for the contract Skye slid toward him.
One by one, the hands dropped. Parker watched his coup disintegrate in real time.
“You traitors!” Parker shouted. “You cowards p>
“It’s just business, Parker,” Alistair said, leaning back. “You tried to buy loyalty. We bought the whole damn company p>
Parker’s face twisted. “You think this is over? You think money solves this p>
He reached into his jacket.
“Don’t,” Alistair warned.
But Parker pulled out a document, not a gun.
“You can buy the board,” Parker spat, “but you can’t buy blood.” He threw the document onto the table.
“My sister, Victoria,” Parker said, a cruel smile returning. “She isn’t just a Hayes. She’s pregnant p>
The room went dead silent.