Chapter 5 - Ambush at the BoardroomThe next morning, before the legal hearing could even begin, Alex faced a second front in the war for his family.
Richard Sterling had called an emergency meeting of the Sterling Industries Board of Directors at seven-thirty AM. When Alex walked into the boardroom on the 80th floor, carrying a leather briefcase, all twelve board members were seated in silence.
Richard stood at the head of the long oak table, a smug expression on his face.
"Alexander," Richard announced smoothly. "Thank you for joining us. Given the legal controversy surrounding your sudden... claim of fatherhood, and the impending custody battle with Vance Dynamics, the board feels your personal life has become an unacceptable liability to the corporation."
"Is that so?" Alex said calmly, taking his seat at the opposite end of the table.
"Yes," Richard continued, gesturing to a stack of papers in front of each board member. "Under Section 4 of the corporate bylaws, if the Chief Executive Officer is embroiled in a public scandal that threatens a major acquisition—namely, the Vance Dynamics merger—the board has the right to vote for a temporary suspension of executive powers. I have already rallied the votes. Effective immediately, I will step in as acting CEO."
A few board members shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, but none spoke up. Richard had bribed and manipulated them well.
Alex slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket and leaned back in his leather chair. He didn't look angry; he looked amused.
"You always were impatient, Uncle Richard," Alex said softly. "You thought because I spent three years grieving and hiding in my work that I lost my edge."
Alex opened his briefcase and pulled out a thick folder bound in blue leather.
"What is that?" Richard demanded, his smirk wavering slightly.
"That," Alex said, sliding the folder across the polished table, "is the official asset transfer agreement of Vance Dynamics. Signed two hours ago by Julian Vance's chief financial officer and major shareholders."
The boardroom erupted in low whispers. Richard gasped, grabbing the document and frantically flipping through the pages.
"This... this is impossible!" Richard stuttered. "Julian Vance would never sell! He was fighting our takeover!"
"Julian Vance was fighting your takeover because you were trying to strip his company for parts," Alex explained, his voice commanding the room. "Late last night, I met privately with Julian’s financial backers. I showed them that Richard was secretly planning to liquidate Vance Dynamics' patents and fire five thousand employees the moment the deal went through. I offered them a better deal: a complete merger where Vance Dynamics remains an independent division, dedicated entirely to child safety tech and medical innovation—managed under a trust fund created for Lucas and Noah Sterling."
Alex stood up, towering over the boardroom.
"I bought out Julian Vance’s majority shares using my personal fortune, not company money," Alex declared. "Which means I now own Vance Dynamics. And as the majority owner of both companies, I hold fifty-six percent of the voting power in this room."
He looked directly at Richard, whose face had drained of all color.
"Richard Sterling, you are removed from the board of directors, effective immediately. Security will escort you out of the building. If you set foot in Sterling Tower again, you will be arrested for corporate espionage."
Two tall security guards walked into the room, stepping up to Richard’s side. The disgraced uncle looked around the table for help, but every single board member looked away.
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"You think you won?" Richard hissed, his voice shaking with rage as security led him toward the door. "Julian Vance will still destroy you in family court today! He'll take those boys!"
"Julian Vance doesn't have a company to fight with anymore," Alex replied coldly. "And more importantly... he doesn't have a case."
