Chapter 5 - The Corporate Bloodbath
The glass-walled boardroom of Castillo International, located on the 50th floor of the city's financial district skyscraper, was filled with tension. Twenty board members sat around a massive obsidian table, murmuring anxiously as news reports of Vivian Morettiâs arrest flashed on the screens around the room.
At the head of the table sat Julian Moretti. He was an older man with silver hair, impeccable tailoring, and eyes as cold and calculating as a shark's. He didn't look like a man whose daughter was in prison; he looked like a king preparing to conquer a new territory.
The double doors of the boardroom swung open, and Alejandro walked in, flanked by Marcus and a team of corporate lawyers. The room fell instantly silent.
"Julian," Alejandro said, walking to his seat at the opposite end of the table without offering a handshake. "You're sitting in my chair."
"This chair belongs to whoever controls the majority shares of this company, Alejandro," Julian countered smoothly, a condescending smile playing on his lips. "And as of nine o'clock this morning, with my daughterâs shares and the proxy votes of the European block, the Moretti family holds fifty-one percent of Castillo International. We are voting you out as CEO, effective immediately."
A murmur of agreement went through several board members who had been bought out by the Moretti family over the years.
Alejandro calmly sat down in an adjacent chair, crossing his legs. "You think you control fifty-one percent? That's interesting math, Julian. But you forgot one crucial detail."
Alejandro nodded to his legal counsel, who opened a briefcase and distributed a stack of certified documents to every board member.
"Three years ago, my wife, Elena Castillo, allegedly signed over her personal sharesâwhich amount to fifteen percent of this companyâto Vivian Moretti," Alejandro explained, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "However, the federal forensic accounting unit has just verified that those signatures were obtained under severe physical torture, kidnapping, and illegal chemical sedation."
Julianâs smile faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing. "That is an unproven allegation. My daughter is being framed."
"The FBI has the medical logs, the confession of the doctor who drugged her, and the confession of the staff who held her in my basement," Alejandro fired back, leaning forward, his gaze boring into Julianâs. "Under federal law, any asset transfer executed under duress or criminal activity is null and void ab initio. Those fifteen percent shares never belonged to Vivian. They belong to Elena."
Alejandro stood up, commanding the room. "And as Elenaâs legal proxy and husband, I have officially reclaimed those shares. Furthermore, due to the Moretti familyâs involvement in organized crime, human trafficking, and corporate espionage, I have filed a petition under the RICO Act. All Moretti assets within Castillo International are frozen by the federal government pending trial."
The board members gasped. Several of them stood up, frantically checking their phones as the company's legal counsel confirmed the federal injunction.
May you like
"You think youâve won, boy?" Julian snarled, his aristocratic veneer cracking to reveal the ruthless cartel boss underneath. He stood up, leaning over the table. "Youâve just signed your own death warrant. You and that broken little wife of yours won't survive the week. I will tear this city apart to get my daughter back."
"Try it," Alejandro said, his voice dangerously calm. "Marcus, escort Mr. Moretti out of the building. And if he or any of his associates are found within a mile of my wife, shoot to kill."
