Suits Vs Suits
465 Words
7:00AM. 40th floor.
The boardroom was packed. Not our board. _Their_ board.
Three firms. Six lawyers. One motion.
_“Motion to freeze Hale & DeMarco assets pending fraud investigation.”_
Fraud. Cute.
Victor was already standing at the head of the table. Suit perfect. No tie. Again.
“Gentlemen,” he said. “Ladies. You’re early.”
A man from Meridian Capital stood. “Where’s Madam CEO?”
The door opened.
Me. No makeup. Hair up. Same suit as yesterday.
“Right here,” I said. “And you’re late.”
I didn’t sit. I put a tablet on the table. Hit play.
*Audio. Meridian’s CFO, last night:*
_“…if we freeze them, we buy at 20% after the crash. Hale’s weak without her.”_
The room went cold.
“Illegal wiretap?” the lawyer stammered.
“No,” Mara said from the door. “Legal boardroom. They booked it. We just kept the recording system your father installed, Mr. Cole.”
Victor didn’t smile. He never did in war.
“Item one,” he said. “Your motion is denied.”
“On what grounds?”
I slid a folder down the table. _Hale & DeMarco – SEC Clearance. 6:58AM. Today._
“We filed at 6AM,” I said. “Every shell company. Every debt. Every signature. Clean.”
He opened it. His face changed.
“Item two,” Victor said. “Counter-motion.”
He pressed a button. The glass wall lit up.
*News Feed Live: _Meridian, Blackridge, Voss Capital under SEC review for market manipulation.*_
Their lawyer stood. “You can’t—”
“We can,” I said. “Because 50/50 means we have twice the lawyers. Twice the money. And twice the patience.”
Silence.
“Item three,” I said. “Get out of my building.”
No one moved.
Victor stepped forward. “You heard the CEO.”
They left. Fast.
7:18AM.
Door closed.
I exhaled. For the first time all morning.
Victor looked at me. “You were incredible.”
“I had a good COO,” I said.
He almost smiled. “We won.”
“We survived,” I said. “Winning is later.”
My phone buzzed.
*Mara: _Shares +22%. They’re calling it ‘The 7AM m******e’.*_
Victor walked to the window. “You didn’t flinch. Not once.”
“Neither did you,” I said.
He turned. “Last night—”
“Don’t,” I said. “Not today.”
He nodded. Once.
“Then we work,” he said. “Partners first.”
He walked out.
I stayed at the window. Watching the city we just kept.
For 18 years I wanted revenge.
Today, I wanted someone to stand beside me while I took it.
I had him.
- Writer
