Chapter 12 - THE VENETIAN CONVERSATION
At 11:00 AM, the double mahogany doors of the executive suite opened.
Two men in dark tailored suits entered, followed by a tall, elegant woman with silver hair pulled into a severe bun. She wore a charcoal grey structured coat and held a slim leather portfolio.
This was Katherine Vance-Cross—the founder and managing director of Aegis Capital.
And my mother’s estranged younger sister.
I felt the blood run cold in my veins. I hadn't seen Aunt Katherine since my mother’s funeral five years ago, when she had quietly left before the casket was lowered into the ground.
"Hello, Emma," Katherine said, her voice smooth as velvet and cold as ice. She pulled out the chair directly opposite mine and sat down, ignoring the rest of the board members entirely. "You have your mother’s cheekbones. And her stubbornness."
"You own Aegis Capital?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.
"I built Aegis after your mother forced me out of Vance & Co. thirty years ago," Katherine replied, opening her portfolio and placing a thick blue document on the table. "Nathan came to me eighteen months ago, drowning in gambling debts and desperate for liquidity. I gave him forty million dollars. In exchange, he signed over a high-yield convertible note backed by the company's equity."
"He signed that note using a forged power of attorney," Marcus interjected, pointing a finger at her. "The contract is legally void under New York law."
"Under US law, perhaps," Katherine countered with a chilling smile. "But the contract was executed under Swiss jurisdiction in Geneva. In Switzerland, the power of attorney was notarized by Celeste Laurent under a valid corporate seal. Unless you can pay forty-two million dollars—including default interest—by 5:00 PM tomorrow, Aegis will legally assume ownership of all Vance & Co. assets."
She stood up, buttoning her jacket.
May you like
"Nathan was weak, Emma. Celeste was greedy. But I am neither. I built this trap over three years, and tomorrow at 5:00 PM, I am taking back what your mother stole from me thirty years ago."
She turned and walked out of the boardroom, her heels clicking rhythmically against the marble.
