Chapter 4 - The Public Execution
The noise in the main ballroom died down gradually, row by row, as guests began noticing the live broadcast playing on the massive decorative projection screens mounted around the room. The hotel management had quietly overridden the banquet’s internal display system, streaming the emergency press conference directly to the three hundred attendees.
On the high-definition screens, my face was larger than life. The faint red mark on my left cheek was clearly visible under the bright press lights, but my posture was utterly unyielding.
“Good evening, members of the press and valued partners of Pinnacle Enterprises,” Andy Ashworth’s sharp voice echoed through the ballroom speakers. “I am standing here tonight with the entire Board of Directors and the primary majority owner of Pinnacle Enterprises to deliver an urgent corporate announcement.”
In the ballroom, Brendan stared at the screen, his jaw hanging open, his face draining of all color.
“Primary majority owner?” Claire spat out, clutching her pearl necklace. “What kind of nonsense is this? Brendan owns the company! He built it!”
On the screen, Andy continued calmly: “Effective at eight-forty-five PM tonight, by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors and by executive decree of McCann Global Assets—which holds sixty-eight percent of voting shares—Mr. Brendan Alcott has been terminated with cause from his position as Chief Executive Officer.”
A wave of loud, frantic murmurs rippled through the three hundred guests in the ballroom. People turned to stare at Brendan, who stood frozen near the stage, his eyes wide with rising terror.
“Furthermore,” Andy announced, “an internal audit has uncovered extensive financial irregularities, including the systematic embezzlement of corporate funds totaling over six million dollars. Legal proceedings have been initiated to recover all converted assets. We have also revoked all executive privileges, including corporate credit lines, housing allowances, and fleet vehicles previously assigned to Mr. Alcott.”
Sabrina’s hand slid away from Brendan’s waist as if he had suddenly caught fire. She took a step back, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
“Brendan...” Sabrina whispered, her voice trembling. “What is he talking about? What does he mean, majority owner?”
On the screen, Andy stepped back from the podium, and I stepped forward to the array of microphones. The room in the ballroom fell so quiet you could hear the hum of the air conditioning.
“To our clients, investors, and employees,” I spoke into the microphones, my voice cool, measured, and utterly commanding. “Pinnacle Enterprises was founded on the legacy of my father, Arthur McCann. For ten years, I allowed Mr. Alcott to serve as the public manager of this enterprise. Regrettably, power and unearned privilege have led him to commit severe financial crimes and exhibit appalling personal behavior.”
I looked directly into the central camera lens, looking straight into Brendan’s eyes through the screen.
“Pinnacle Enterprises will not tolerate fraud, embezzlement, or violence,” I said clearly. “I am assuming the role of Interim CEO and Chairman of the Board immediately. Good night.”
The screens went black.
In the ballroom, absolute chaos broke out. Business owners who had been bowing to Brendan moments earlier immediately stepped away from him, pulling their wives back as if his sudden downfall was contagious. Foreign partners who had raised toasts to him whispered frantically to their aides, ordering immediate cancellations of pending contracts.
“This is a mistake!” Brendan suddenly roared, snapping out of his stupor. He threw the iPad onto the floor, where it shattered against the marble. “This is a joke! Sydney doesn't own anything! She’s my wife! She’s a nobody!”
“Brendan Alcott?” a loud, stern voice boomed from the double doors of the ballroom.
Four uniformed police officers pushed through the crowd, led by a tall detective in a gray suit holding an arrest warrant.
“Brendan Alcott, you are under arrest for domestic battery, corporate fraud, and grand larceny,” the detective stated coldly, pulling out a pair of steel handcuffs.
“Get your hands off me!” Brendan screamed, backing away into the stage area. “Do you know who I am?! I am the CEO of this company! Call my lawyers! Mom, call the lawyers!”
Claire rushed forward, hysterical. “You can't arrest my son! He is a business leader! It was that crazy woman! She set him up! She spilled the wine!”
The two officers bypassed Claire entirely, grabbing Brendan by his arms, twisting them behind his back, and snapping the steel cuffs onto his wrists.
“You have the right to remain silent,” the officer read aloud, dragging a thrashing, screaming Brendan across the marble floor in front of all three hundred of his elite peers. “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law...”
As Brendan was dragged past Sabrina, he reached out a hand. “Sabrina! Help me! Call the legal team!”
Sabrina looked down at him with cold detachment, taking another step backward. “Don't touch me, Brendan. I don't know anything about your corporate accounts.”
“You toxic little bitch!” Claire shrieked, swinging her designer purse at Sabrina’s head. “You took his money! You wore his necklace! You ruined my son!”
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The two women began shouting and clawing at each other right there in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by flashbulbs as guests pulled out their smartphones and began recording the entire horrifying spectacle.
From the VIP balcony above, I stood behind the dark tinted glass, watching the empire of cards collapse in real time. Thirty minutes had passed. And no one was laughing anymore.
