THE HEIR'S REVENGE.

CHAPTER SIX

Chapter 6: The Boardroom Skirmish

The glass doors of the Eldridge Global headquarters parted with a soft pneumatic hiss as Clara stepped into the marble atrium. She wore a tailored black wool coat over a cream silk blouse, her dark hair swept up in a tight, elegant twist. No jewelry. No distraction.

Beside her, Alexander Kane walked with a relaxed, lazy stride that belied the heavy leather briefcase hanging from his left hand.

"Julian has called an emergency board meeting for ten o'clock," Alexander murmured, glancing at his silver wristwatch. "He thinks he has the votes to force through the secondary stock offering. If he pushes that through, Eldridge stock drops forty percent by noon."

"He won't have the votes," Clara said, her voice smooth and unhurried as they entered the private executive elevator. "He thinks he owns the independent directors. He forgot who hired their firm fifteen years ago."

The elevator ride to the forty-second floor was silent, save for the quiet hum of the cable mechanism. When the doors opened into the glass-walled boardroom floor, the tension in the air was thick enough to taste.

Inside the glass chamber, Julian stood at the head of the long mahogany table, surrounded by six board members. Elena sat near the back corner, acting as the corporate secretary, her tablet balanced on her knees.

When Clara walked through the double doors, Julian’s sentence cut off mid-word. His eyes flicked from Clara to Alexander, widening slightly at the sight of the disgraced attorney.

"Clara?" Julian recovered quickly, adjusting his cuffs with a practiced smile. "What are you doing here, darling? This is a private operational meeting for the board."

"I am the majority shareholder of Eldridge Global, Julian," Clara said, pulling out the head chair at the opposite end of the table and sitting down. Alexander remained standing behind her right shoulder, a specter of silent threat. "There is no operational meeting in this building that is private from me."

Julian chuckled, a sound meant to project easy dominance to the older men sitting around the table. "Of course, but as we discussed, you granted me the proxy rights for board voting until the wedding settlement is finalized. You don't need to burden yourself with—"

"The proxy was revoked at nine o'clock this morning," Clara interrupted flatly.

She gestured toward Alexander, who unzipped his briefcase and laid a single, crisp white sheet of paper on the table, sliding it down the polished wood until it stopped directly in front of Julian.

"Notice of Immediate Revocation," Alexander declared, his gravelly voice cutting through the quiet room like a blade. "Filed with the SEC three hours ago. Mr. Thorne holds zero voting authority over the Eldridge estate shares."

A ripple of quiet murmurs washed across the boardroom. Two of the older directors exchanged sharp glances.

Julian’s face went white, then flushed a dark, mottled red. His eyes darted to Elena, who had gone entirely still in her chair, her fingers frozen over her tablet screen.

"Clara, this is absurd," Julian said, his voice dropping into the low, commanding register he always used when he wanted to terminate an argument. "We had an agreement. Moving capital right now during a market fluctuation threatens the stability of the entire company."

"The company is stable, Julian," Clara said, resting her chin on her clasped hands and leaning forward. "It's your leverage that isn't."

She let the silence hang in the air for three agonizing seconds, watching the sweat form at the edge of his hairline.

"Now," Clara continued, turning her head to address the board. "The motion to issue secondary stock is denied. Instead, Eldridge Global will be executing an immediate share buyback using our liquid reserves. Meeting adjourned."