Chapter 23
The door slammed shut behind the police officers as they escorted Gregory out, his desperate protests echoing faintly in the hallway. The room was silent, save for the rustling of papers and the shocked murmurs of the board members. Victoria leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and waiting, knowing exactly what was coming.
Selena shot to her feet, her face red with fury. “You think you can get this company back by taking out our best man?” she spat, pointing a manicured finger at Victoria. “That won’t be possible, you stupid skank!”
Victoria arched an eyebrow, unfazed by Selena’s outburst. “Best man?” she said coolly, tilting her head. “Last I checked, your ‘best man’ was caught signing off on fraudulent transactions. You should really vet your team better, Selena.”
Selena’s hands balled into fists at her sides, her nostrils flaring. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Cleaning house doesn’t mean you get to sit at the head of the table. This company is mine! Damian and I—”
“Damian and you?” Victoria interrupted with a smirk. “How poetic. Except you’re forgetting one small detail, Selena. This company was never yours to begin with. It was mine. It still is mine. And I’m just cleaning up the mess you two made of it.”
Selena’s eyes blazed, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to scream but couldn’t find the words. Finally, she let out a frustrated growl, snatching her bag from the table. “You’ll regret this,” she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. “You’ll regret every single move you’ve made.”
Victoria shrugged. “I’m sure I will. But for now, it feels pretty good.”
Selena stormed out of the room, her heels clicking angrily against the floor. Damian hesitated, glancing between Selena and Victoria. His expression was a mixture of confusion and unease, like a man caught in a storm without an umbrella.
“Damian,” Selena barked from the doorway, snapping him out of his daze.
He turned to her but didn’t move. His gaze flickered back to Victoria, searching her face for something—what, she didn’t know. For a moment, it seemed like he might say something, but then he shook his head and followed Selena out, leaving the door ajar.
Victoria exhaled slowly, standing up and smoothing her dress. She turned to face the rest of the board, who were still reeling from the scene that had just unfolded. Their eyes darted nervously between each other and her, clearly unsure of what to say or do.
“Well,” Victoria said, her voice calm but firm. “Now that the distractions are out of the way, I think it’s time we have a little chat.”
A few of the board members straightened in their seats, their nervous energy palpable.
“Let’s make one thing clear,” Victoria continued, pacing slowly around the room. “I don’t care what deals Selena and Damian have made with you. I don’t care what promises they’ve whispered in your ears. What I do care about is this company—my company—and the legacy my family built.”
Her gaze swept across the table, lingering on each board member. “If you’re aligning yourselves with fraud and embezzlement, you’re on the wrong side of this fight. I’ve already taken down one of their puppets, and trust me, I’ll find the rest. So, if you have any skeletons in your closet, now would be the time to come clean.”
One of the older board members, a man named Richard, cleared his throat nervously. “Victoria, we weren’t aware of Gregory’s… actions. If we had known—”
“Save it,” Victoria interrupted, holding up a hand. “Whether you knew or not doesn’t matter to me. What matters is where you stand now. Are you going to keep following Selena and Damian down this rabbit hole of lies and corruption? Or are you going to start doing what’s right for this company and its shareholders?”
Another board member, Lisa, leaned forward, her expression cautious. “What exactly are you asking of us, Victoria?”
“I’m asking you to think,” Victoria said, her tone sharp. “Think about who you’re trusting. Think about what happens when the rest of their schemes come to light. Because they will. And when they do, do you really want to be caught in the fallout?”
The room fell silent again, the weight of her words settling over them like a heavy fog. Victoria straightened, letting her presence fill the room. She didn’t need to yell or threaten; her calm, unshakable confidence was enough.
“Think about it,” she said finally, her voice soft but firm. “The next time we meet, I’ll expect answers.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked out, her heels clicking with purpose against the floor.
As she stepped into the hallway, her phone buzzed in her bag. She pulled it out, glancing at the screen. The number was unfamiliar, but she answered it anyway, pressing it to her ear.
“Hello?”
There was a brief pause, and then a deep, steady voice said, “Victoria Cross?”
“Yes, this is she,” she replied cautiously.
“I’m calling about Gregory Martinez,” the voice continued.
Victoria’s breath caught. “What about him?”
There was another pause, heavy and foreboding. “He’s dead.”
Her heart dropped into her stomach. “What?”
“We found him in his holding cell,” the voice said grimly. “Apparent suicide. But there’s something you should know.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The voice lowered, its tone grave. “There were signs of foul play. This wasn’t an accident.”
The words echoed in her mind, each one hitting her like a blow. Gregory was dead. And someone had made sure of it.
