The glass doors of the Vance Financial Tower swung open as Julian and Clara stepped into the top-floor boardroom without an appointment. Richard Vance sat at the head of a massive marble conference table, flanked by four corporate lawyers and his daughter Victoria.
Richard: Julian Sterling? What is the meaning of this unannounced intrusion into my private meeting?
Julian: We are here to talk about the fraud you committed against Thomas Vance's shipping company last month.
Victoria stood up abruptly from her leather seat, her face twisting into an angry scowl as she glared at Clara.
Victoria: How dare you bring this penniless girl into my father's corporate office!
Clara: I am not penniless anymore, Victoria, and my father's name is Thomas Vance, not a charity project.
Richard: Your father made bad business investments and his loans defaulted naturally, young lady.
Arthur: That would be true, Mr. Vance, if you hadn't illegally bribed his loan officer to withhold his refinancing approval.
Arthur tossed a thick stack of bank wire receipts straight onto the center of the marble table, scattering papers across the room. Richard Vance's face drained of all color as he recognized the internal account numbers printed on the top sheet.
Richard: Where on earth did you get access to these private banking records?
Julian: Sterling Capital owns forty percent of the bank you used to process those illegal wire transfers, Richard.
Victoria: Dad... what are they talking about right now?
Richard: Keep your mouth shut, Victoria!
Clara: You tried to crush my family just to expand your commercial real estate footprint down at the harbor.
Julian: Sign the full release papers for the South Boston property, or the banking commission arrests you before lunch.
Richard Vance collapsed back into his leather chair, his breathing heavy as he looked at his lead attorney for assistance. The attorney simply shook his head slowly, sliding a wooden fountain pen toward the disgraced CEO.
Richard: This will destroy my company's credit rating across the entire northeast region...
Julian: You should have thought about consequences before you targeted an innocent man's lifetime legacy.
Richard picked up the pen with trembling fingers and signed his name at the bottom of the surrender agreement.
Clara: My father will have his company back by tomorrow morning.
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