Chapter 5 The Boardroom Storm

The morning sun was bright, but the air inside the car was completely quiet. Vivienne sat in the back seat, staring out the window at the busy streets of New York.

Her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes from a lack of sleep.

She turned her head slightly to look at Ares. He was sitting right next to her, wearing a plain gray suit that fit his tall frame well.

"You do not have to come inside with me," Vivienne said, her voice small. "The board members are already angry. If they see you, it might make things worse."

Ares did not look away from the window. "We signed a contract, Vivienne. We are married now. What concerns your company concerns me too. Besides, Julian will be there."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Because he thinks he won," Ares replied simply. "A man like him cannot help but show up to gloat."

The car pulled up to the large glass building that served as the Sterling Financial Headquarters. Vivienne took a deep breath, trying to steady her hands.

She got out of the car, and Ares followed closely behind her. As they walked through the main lobby, the employees whispered and stared. Ares ignored them completely, keeping his pace steady.

They took the elevator up to the top floor. When the doors opened, Vivienne’s secretary rushed forward, her face full of panic.

"Miss Sterling, I am so sorry," the secretary whispered quickly. "Mr. Julian Vane is already inside the boardroom. He brought his own lawyers, and he forced his way in.

The board members are listening to him right now."

Vivienne’s jaw tightened. "Thank you, Sarah. Stay here."

She walked toward the large double doors of the boardroom and pushed them open. Ares walked in right behind her, his hands loosely inside his pockets.

Inside, a dozen older board members were sitting around a long table. At the far end of the room stood Julian Vane.

"Ah, Vivienne," Julian said, spreading his arms wide as if he owned the place. "You are finally here. We were just discussing the future of your company. Or rather, the lack of it."

Vivienne walked to the head of the table, her voice cold and level. "This is a private meeting for the Sterling Group, Julian. You have no right to be in this room. Leave now before I call security."

Julian laughed, a nasty sound that made the older board members look down at their hands. "Call security? With what money, Vivienne? Your stocks are crashing, and your partners are running away.

But more importantly, I am here as a major creditor."

He tapped the stack of papers on the table.

"What are you talking about?" Vivienne demanded.

"Your new husband," Julian said, pointing a finger at Ares with pure disgust. "The family trash. Before our fathers forced this marriage, Ares accumulated massive gambling debts across the city.

Millions of dollars, all signed in his name. And guess what? The Vane family just bought all those debts. Legally, his debts are now your debts, Vivienne. If you do not sign over your main shipping assets to me right now, I will file for your personal bankruptcy by noon."

One of the elderly board members stood up, his face pale. "Miss Sterling, is this true? If the company takes on millions in personal debt right now, we will go under by the end of the week. You must find a way to settle this with Mr. Vane."

Vivienne felt a cold wave of shock wash over her. She turned her head to look at Ares, her eyes filled with betrayal and confusion.

Ares did not look worried at all.

He stepped forward, walking slowly past the board members. He stopped right in front of Julian, looking down at his half-brother.

"You spent the whole night waiting for a phone call that never came, Julian," Ares said softly. "And yet, you still had the courage to come here today."

Julian’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. He remembered that his three assassins had not checked in. A small flash of fear crossed his eyes, but he quickly covered it with anger. "Shut up, you piece of trash. You do not speak in this room."

Ares reached out his hand, his movements incredibly fast. Before Julian could react, Ares grabbed the thick stack of debt papers off the table.

"Hey! Drop those!" Julian shouted, reaching for them.

Ares did not look at him. He ripped the thick legal documents completely in half. He folded them and ripped them again, tearing the papers into tiny pieces. He tossed the scraps into the air, letting them rain down onto the table.

The room went completely dead silent. The board members gasped, and Vivienne stared with her mouth slightly open.

"You... you lunatic!" Julian screamed, his face turning bright red with rage. "Those were legal copies! My lawyers will ruin you for this! Guards! Get in here!"

Julian reached out to grab Ares’s collar, his arm swinging wildly.

Ares didn't even blink. He caught Julian’s wrist mid-air. His grip was like an iron vice. He twisted Julian's arm slightly backward, forcing the older man to bend forward in pain.

"Ah! Stop! Let go!" Julian yelled, his knees bucking as he tried to relieve the pressure on his wrist. His expensive suit crinkled as he struggled.

Ares leaned down, his voice dropping so low that only Julian could hear it. His eyes had a faint, terrifying tint of crimson in them.

"Listen to me closely, little brother. The original Ares Vane is dead. You cannot threaten me with papers, and you cannot threaten me with thugs. If you ever bring your face into my wife's office again, I will not just twist your wrist. I will break your arm into three pieces. Do you understand me?"

Julian was sweating, his face pale from the pure pain and the terror radiating from Ares. He had never seen his brother look like this.

"I understand! Let go!" Julian whimpered.

Ares released his grip, pushing Julian backward. Julian stumbled against his own lawyers, nearly falling to the floor. He held his bruised wrist against his chest, breathing heavily.

"Get out," Ares said flatly.

Julian looked at the board members, then at Vivienne, and finally at Ares. He saw the lack of fear in Ares’s eyes and realized he was completely outmatched in this room.

"We are leaving," Julian hissed to his lawyers. He hurried toward the doors, stumbling slightly as he fled the boardroom.

Once the doors clicked shut, the silence in the room returned. The board members looked at Ares as if he were a ghost.

Ares turned around and looked at the elderly man who had spoken earlier. "The debt is gone. The papers are gone. Now, sit down and help my wife run her company."

He walked over to the corner of the room and stood against the wall, folding his arms.

Vivienne cleared her throat, her heart pounding against her ribs.