Chapter 10 - The Boardroom TrapThe boardroom of Thorne Global sat on the forty-eighth floor, wrapped in glass and power.
By noon, every major director had arrived.
Some came angry.
Some came afraid.
Some came pretending not to know why Marcus had called them.
Vincent Rossi arrived last.
He entered with two attorneys, a calm smile, and no daughter.
Isabella was still in custody.
That alone made the room tense.
Marcus sat at the head of the table. Khloe sat beside him despite Adrian’s objections, pale but steady, wearing a simple cream coat over her hospital dress. Her presence unsettled the board more than any speech could have.
They had expected weakness.
She gave them silence.
Marcus began without greeting.
“Last night, my wife was assaulted inside a private hospital suite.”
Vincent leaned back. “An unfortunate personal matter.”
Marcus pressed a remote.
The boardroom screens lit up.
The security footage played.
No one moved.
When Isabella’s heel struck Khloe, one director looked down. Another whispered, “Dear God.”
Vincent’s face remained still, but his hands tightened.
Marcus stopped the video.
“That was not personal. It was strategic.”
Vincent laughed softly. “You’re emotional.”
Marcus clicked again.
The second video played.
Vincent’s own voice filled the boardroom.
“Khloe is getting close… Handle the wife. Quietly.”
The room exploded.
Attorneys whispered.
Directors shouted.
Vincent stood. “That was taken out of context.”
Marcus looked at him. “Then provide the context.”
Vincent’s mouth closed.
Khloe spoke for the first time.
“You used Isabella because you thought people would believe a jealous socialite over a pregnant wife.”
Every eye turned to her.
“You thought if I looked emotional enough, unstable enough, dramatic enough, nobody would listen when I found your paper trail.”
Vincent smiled coldly. “You overestimate yourself, Mrs. Thorne.”
Khloe reached into the folder before her.
“No,” she said. “You underestimated me.”
She placed copies of the forged contracts on the table.
Marcus added bank records.
Adrian added hospital foundation documents.
Detective Cole, attending through legal authorization, added the police warrant record.
One by one, the trap closed.
Then Marcus delivered the final blow.
“My father’s dormant trust amendment triggers an audit upon the birth of my child. I have petitioned the court to open that audit immediately due to credible evidence of financial misconduct.”
Vincent’s smile died.
A director named Peter Lang stood abruptly. “You can’t do that without board approval.”
Marcus looked at him.
“I knew you’d say that.”
The screen changed again.
Emails appeared.
Peter Lang to Vincent Rossi.
Subject: Marcus must be removed before the birth.
The room went silent.
Peter sat down slowly.
Marcus’s voice was calm.
“Thank you for showing your face.”
Security entered the boardroom.
May you like
Vincent looked around and realized too late that he was not surrounded by allies.
He was surrounded by witnesses.
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