Chapter 7 - The Confrontation at the Boardroom
On Friday morning at 8:45 AM, the executive boardroom on the 50th floor of Hail Property Group was packed with lawyers, investment bankers, and board members.
Franklin Hail sat at the head of the massive oak table, looking confident as he reviewed the final paperwork for the company's multi-billion-dollar expansion. Ricket sat to his right, wearing a fresh tailored suit, looking smug and self-important.
"Everything is in order, Mr. Hail," the chief financial officer announced. "We are five minutes away from opening the institutional order books. Once the underwriting clears, our liquidity ratio will be restored."
"Excellent," Franklin smiled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Let's get this finalized so we can wrap up the lease takeover on Westbrook's New Jersey facility."
Before the CFO could press the digital submission button, the double heavy glass doors of the boardroom swung open wide.
Two security guards tried to step into the doorway, but Gabriel Vance stepped forward first, placing his hand against the door frame. His posture alone caused both guards to take an immediate step back, recognizing the cold, lethal capability in his stance.
Camille Westbrook walked into the room, wearing a striking emerald green suit, her chin held high, holding a thin black leather portfolio.
Franklin Hail froze, setting his coffee cup down with a sharp clatter. "Camille? What is the meaning of this? This is a private board meeting."
Ricket stood up, his face flushing with immediate rage. "What are you doing here?! Security, get her out!"
Then Ricket's eyes shifted behind Camille, and his voice died in his throat.
Standing directly behind her, looking immaculate in a tailored charcoal suit, was Gabriel Vance. Gabriel looked straight at Ricket, his gray eyes cold and steady, offering a faint, terrifyingly calm nod.
"Sit down, Ricket," Camille commanded, her voice cutting through the room like a steel wire.
"You have no authority here, Miss Westbrook," Franklin hissed, standing up to face her. "You are trespassing."
"I'm not trespassing, Franklin," Camille said smoothly, dropping her portfolio onto the center of the table. "I am your primary debt holder."
The CFO’s eyes widened as he pulled up his tablet. "Mr. Hail... thirty minutes ago, Westbrook Aeronautics acquired seventy percent of our short-term commercial paper through Manhattan National Bank."
Franklin’s face turned white. "You... you bought our debt?"
"Every single dollar of it," Camille stated. "And as your primary creditor, I am officially freezing your underwriting clearance until the board reviews a critical liability report regarding senior management."
She tapped a button on her tablet.
The massive digital display at the front of the boardroom flickered to life. High-definition security footage from the Waldorf Lennox ballroom played across the sixty-inch screen—showing Ricket grabbing Camille's wrist, yelling in her face, and ripping her dress in front of five hundred people, followed by Gabriel stepping in to drop Ricket to the floor.
Gasps echoed across the table from the board members.
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"This is private footage! This is slander!" Ricket screamed, panic bleeding into his voice.
"It's public record now, Ricket," Camille said calmly. "It was submitted to the Police Department an hour ago, along with a formal criminal complaint for felony assault."
