Chapter 2: The Intervention

Marcus Thorne did not knock.

The tall, broad-shouldered lawyer strode into the Lumina Tech boardroom with the swagger of a man who owned the building. He was flanked by two uniformed police officers and a private process server.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Evelyn demanded, her triumphant smile vanishing instantly. "This is a private corporate meeting!"

Marcus ignored her, walking straight to the head of the table. He dropped a thick stack of legal folders onto the mahogany surface, right on top of David's merger documents.

"David Vance and Evelyn Vance," Marcus said, his voice booming across the silent room. "You are hereby served."

"Served with what?" David squeaked, shrinking back in his expensive leather chair.

"Emergency injunctions, restraining orders, and asset freezes," Marcus replied cheerfully, though his eyes were cold as ice. "Filed on behalf of my client, Clara Vance."

The boardroom erupted into frantic whispers. Richard leaned forward, a massive grin breaking out across his face.

"Clara is medically incapacitated!" Evelyn shouted, pointing a manicured finger at Marcus. "She doesn't have the authority to file anything!"

Marcus chuckled, pulling a tablet from his briefcase. "Actually, Mrs. Vance, my client is perfectly lucid. The court agreed, especially after reviewing the St. Jude's hospital security footage from yesterday. You know, the one where you attempted to assault a bedridden woman with a heart monitor?"

Evelyn’s face turned the color of ash. She stumbled backward, bumping into the wall.

"Furthermore," Marcus continued, turning his attention to the shocked board members. "Any vote taken in this room today is null and void. Clara remains the sole CEO of Lumina Tech. If you require proof of her mental acuity, she wanted to deliver a message personally."

Marcus tapped the tablet, connecting it to the boardroom's massive presentation screen. The video feed flickered to life.

There was Clara, sitting in her hospital bed. The bandages were still there, and the nasal cannula was still in place, but her posture was rigid, and her eyes burned with an undeniable, terrifying authority.

"Good morning, board," Clara's voice echoed through the room's sound system. "I apologize for missing today's meeting. I had a slight issue with my vehicle."

She paused, her gaze shifting directly to the camera, making it feel as though she were staring straight through David and Evelyn.

"As of this exact moment, David Vance is terminated from his position as CFO, pending a criminal investigation for corporate espionage and attempted murder," Clara stated coldly. "Security will escort him, and his mother, from the premises immediately. If they resist, the officers standing behind Mr. Thorne have my full authorization to arrest them for trespassing."