Chapter 8 - The Ultimatum
Word count: ~1,500 words
At 1:15 PM that same afternoon, the lead attorney for the Vance family, a stern, grey-haired Swiss lawyer named Herr Von Berg, arrived at our corporate offices.
He walked into the glass conference room carrying an aura of arrogance, flanked by two junior associates.
"Mr. Vance," Von Berg said stiffly, taking a seat across from me without offering a handshake. "My clients are prepared to offer a compromise. We will reduce our settlement demand to fifteen million euros, provided your company signs a strict non-disclosure agreement regarding Gabriel’s involvement."
I didn't say a word. I simply looked at my watch.
1:18 PM.
Eduardo Blanco slid my black dossier across the table, opening it to page 14—the section detailing the Vance family’s secret offshore accounts in Liechtenstein.
Von Berg frowned, pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket. He began skim-reading the document.
As his eyes scanned the audited bank transactions, the tax evasion figures, and the wire transfers bearing his primary client’s personal signature, the arrogance completely drained from his face.
His cheeks lost all color. His hands began to shake violently, rustling the thick pages of the report.
"This... this is private family data..." Von Berg stammered, his voice cracking with sudden terror. "How did you acquire this?"
"That doesn't matter, Herr Von Berg," I said, my voice smooth as silk. "What matters is that it is 1:22 PM. You have thirty-eight minutes before my compliance director submits this file to the federal authorities in Bern and Madrid."
Von Berg swallowed hard, looking at his two junior associates, who looked equally horrified.
"What are your terms?" Von Berg whispered desperately.
"Term one," I stated clearly. "An immediate, unconditional withdrawal of all court injunctions against my holding company, filed with the Madrid commercial court before 2:00 PM."
"Agreed," Von Berg nodded frantically. "Done."
"Term two," I continued. "A formal, legally binding surrender of all assets previously held by Doña Carmen Vega, including the guesthouse property in La Moraleja, transferred directly into an irrevocable trust for my daughter, Inés."
"Agreed," Von Berg said without hesitation.
"Term three," I concluded, leaning forward until I was inches from his face. "The Vance family will issue a public statement confirming that Gabriel Vance acted entirely alone, absolving my wife and my company of any legal or financial association. And your clients will never, under any circumstances, set foot in Spain again."
Von Berg pulled his phone from his pocket with trembling fingers, dialing his client’s private line in Geneva.
"Sign the papers, Sir," Von Berg spoke urgently into the phone in German. "Sign everything right now! We are completely exposed!"
At 1:45 PM, twenty-fifteen minutes before my deadline, the signed settlement documents and court withdrawal forms were delivered via secure electronic portal to the commercial judge.
The injunction was lifted. My operating accounts were fully restored. The ninety million euros in acquisition reserves were cleared for transfer.
I stood up from the conference table, buttoned my suit jacket, and looked down at Herr Von Berg.
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"Thank you for your efficiency, Herr Von Berg," I said coolly. "Have a safe flight back to Zurich."
I walked out of the conference room, leaving the disgraced attorney buried in his own mountain of corporate defeat.
