The next morning, the bright summer sun poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the top-floor executive suite at Vance Enterprises headquarters in downtown Manhattan.
Clara sat at the head of the long mahogany boardroom table, wearing a sharp, dark navy business suit with her hair pinned back neatly. Beside her sat Arthur and their legal team, reviewing thick stacks of corporate acquisition documents.
Marcus: Ms. Sterling, the acquisition is complete. You hold eighty-five percent of the voting shares in the firm.
Clara: Excellent. What is the status of the former board members who backed Nathan's fraud scheme?
Marcus: All four of them resigned late last night following the news of Nathan's arrest. They have agreed to surrender their stock options to avoid criminal prosecution as co-conspirators.
Arthur: Good riddance. We need fresh, honest leadership in every department of this firm.
Clara: Have the auditors finished reviewing the company's employee pension accounts?
Marcus: Yes, ma'am. Nathan had routed three million dollars out of the staff pension fund to cover his private jet leases. We restored those funds to the workers' accounts two hours ago.
Clara: Make sure every employee receives a formal memo explaining that their retirement savings are completely safe and fully backed by our main estate trust.
Marcus: Right away, CEO Sterling.
A soft knock sounded at the boardroom door, and a young secretary stepped inside holding a small tablet.
Secretary: Excuse me, Ms. Sterling. The federal prosecutor's office is on line one. They have an update regarding Nathan's bail hearing.
Clara picked up the desk phone, pressing the speaker button so Arthur and Marcus could hear as well.
Clara: This is Clara Sterling. Go ahead, Prosecutor Vance.
Prosecutor Vance: Good morning, Ms. Sterling. I wanted to inform you that the federal judge officially denied bail for both Nathan Vance and his father this morning.
Arthur: Excellent news. Did the defense team attempt to file for house arrest?
Prosecutor Vance: They tried, Mr. Sterling. But given the overwhelming physical video evidence recorded by your daughter's pendant, the judge deemed both defendants extreme flight risks due to their offshore bank holdings in Switzerland.
Clara: What is the estimated timeline for the trial?
Prosecutor Vance: With the sheer amount of digital evidence and signed confessions from their accountants, their lawyers are already pushing for a plea deal to avoid a jury trial.
Clara: Tell them we reject any plea deal that doesn't include maximum statutory prison sentences and full restitution of all stolen corporate assets.
Prosecutor Vance: Understood, CEO Sterling. We will move forward with full prosecution on all thirty felony counts.