The morning sun brightened the top floor of the Montgomery Tower downtown. The conference room was quiet, filled with tall leather chairs surrounding a long glass table.
Brandon walked in wearing a tailored dark navy suit, trying his best to hide the faint bruise on his cheek with foundation makeup.
Brandon: Why are the lights on already? Who called this meeting?
Board Member 1: Your aunt called us in, Brandon. She said there was an urgent matter regarding company funds.
Brandon: Aunt Martha has no authority to call an emergency assembly without my signature!
Aunt Martha: Actually, Brandon, I do. When thirty percent of the stock demands a meeting, the board must convene.
Aunt Martha sat at the head of the table, her hands folded neatly over a thick paper folder.
Brandon: Where is she?
Aunt Martha: She's on her way up right now.
The heavy glass doors slid open, and Chloe stepped into the boardroom. She wore a sleek black suit, her red hair styled impeccably, showing no trace of yesterday's humiliation.
Chloe: Good morning, everyone.
Brandon: You have nerve coming into my boardroom after your behavior yesterday!
Chloe: This isn't your boardroom, Brandon. It belongs to the shareholders.
Brandon: Security, remove this woman from the premises!
Board Member 2: Sit down, Brandon! Let her speak!
Brandon: She doesn't hold an executive position here!
Mr. Harrison: As the primary executor of David Montgomery's estate, Mrs. Chloe Montgomery holds full proxy rights over his voting shares.
Mr. Harrison walked in right behind Chloe, placing a thick stack of documents directly in the center of the glass table.
Mr. Harrison: And today, we are exercising those rights to call for an immediate audit of the vice president's discretionary spending.
Brandon: An audit?! My spending was pre-approved by the financial committee!
Chloe: Was the four million dollars sent to the Cayman Islands pre-approved, Brandon?
The room immediately erupted into loud whispers among the board members.
Board Member 1: Four million dollars?! What is she talking about?
Board Member 2: Is this true, Brandon?
Brandon: She's lying! She forged those documents to get revenge for yesterday!
Chloe: I don't forge documents, Brandon. I hire federal investigators.
Chloe pulled a small USB drive from her pocket and handed it to the chief financial officer sitting nearby.
Chloe: Plug that in, Mr. Davis. Page three shows the direct wire transfers signed with Brandon's digital encryption key.
Mr. Davis: Let me see that...
Mr. Davis inserted the drive into his laptop, his eyes widening as wire transfer receipts filled the main presentation screen on the wall.
Mr. Davis: My God... these accounts match our missing inventory funds from last quarter.
Brandon: That... that key was stolen! Someone hacked my private computer!
Chloe: Hacked your computer from your private residence at two in the morning on a Sunday?
Brandon: I was out of town that weekend!
Chloe: The IP address matches your home router, Brandon. My team cross-referenced the network logs.
Brandon stumbled back against his chair, his hands shaking as the board members glared at him in utter disbelief.
Aunt Martha: You stole from your own family's business, Brandon?
Brandon: Aunt Martha, listen to me! I was going to reinvest it! I was trying to expand our shipping routes!
Chloe: By buying a yacht registered in Nassau? That's an interesting investment strategy.
Board Member 1: I move for an immediate vote to strip Brandon Montgomery of his vice presidency and all executive powers!
Board Member 2: Seconded!
Aunt Martha: All in favor, raise your hands.
Every single person at the table raised their hand, including Uncle Richard and Claire.
Brandon: Richard?! Claire?! You're voting against me?!
Uncle Richard: You brought this on yourself, boy. You ruined this family's honor.
Chloe: The motion carries unanimously. Brandon, you are stripped of your title effective immediately.