Chapter 16
Chapter 16: Shadows Beneath the Throne
The day Jackson was sentenced, local news broadcasted live from outside the courthouse. A fifteen-year sentence without parole. I turned off the TV the moment his pale face flashed across the screen, shifting my attention back to the stack of documents on my desk.
The Voss Corporation's boardroom felt colder than usual today.
"Madam Director," Michael, the Chief Financial Officer and a loyal veteran of my father's, broke the silence. "The stock price has stabilized following Jackson's scandal. However... some shareholders are still expressing apprehension about this sudden transfer of power. Especially your uncle, Arthur."
I looked up at Michael, my eyes devoid of emotion. Arthur Voss. The man who had sat silently during that horrific dinner, sipping his wine as Jackson choked the life out of me. He never lifted a finger, but his silence was its own kind of complicity.
May you like
"Let Arthur be apprehensive," I said, my voice calm but made of steel. "Schedule an emergency shareholder meeting for this Friday. It's time to clean up the last of the remnants."
As Michael left, I lightly touched the scar on my temple. The real war doesn't end when the enemy goes to prison. It only begins when you take the throne.
