Chapter 8 - The Shareholder Showdown
Monday arrived under gray, overcast skies. The auditorium at corporate headquarters was packed with shareholders, financial analysts, and journalists. Alejandro De la Vega presided over the main stage with smug arrogance, greeting investors like a man who had already won.
Valeria walked into the auditorium dressed in a sharp, immaculate white pantsuit. Her arrival silenced the room instantly. With absolute poise, she walked down the center aisle and took her place on stage.
Alejandro took the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen of the board, we appreciate Mrs. Valeria’s presence today. We are all aware of the tragic personal ordeal she has recently suffered. Therefore, the board proposes a vote to delegate all executive authority to myself, allowing her to focus entirely on her recovery and her child."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Alejandro cast a triumphant look toward Valeria.
Without a word, Valeria walked up to the podium and plugged her tablet into the auditorium’s master projection system.
"Before we proceed to a vote," Valeria’s voice boomed through the speakers, "I would like the board to explain why corporate funds from our Geneva subsidiary were diverted to orchestrate a hostile takeover against me. And more importantly..."
The giant screens behind her flashed with the technical blueprints of Project Phoenix, alongside a legally binding international patent registration.
"...I want Mr. De la Vega to explain why he has been secretly negotiating the sale of this technology to an offshore state-backed entity, when the intellectual property belongs exclusively to my family trust. If you vote me out today, the company's license to use this technology expires at midnight tonight. You will be leaving this corporation without its most valuable asset."
May you like
Pandemonium erupted in the auditorium. Financial analysts turned pale. Alejandro slammed his hands onto the table, jumping to his feet. "This is slander! Those documents are confidential!"
"They are evidence, Alejandro," Valeria declared from the podium. "Evidence that is currently being reviewed by the Securities Exchange Commission and the National Police."
