Chapter 2 — The Empire Built on Borrowed Credit
At 7:30 the following morning, the boardroom at NexusCore filled with directors, investors, and legal counsel.
Matthew arrived fifteen minutes late.
Still wearing confidence like it was part of his suit.
"What emergency?" he asked.
No one answered.
The Chairman quietly slid a thick folder across the polished table.
Matthew frowned.
"What is this?"
"Corporate history."
He opened it.
The first page listed every founding investment.
Every guarantee.
Every bridge loan.
Every emergency line of credit.
One name appeared over and over.
Sterling Capital.
Matthew laughed.
"So?"
The Chairman folded his hands.
"Those weren't institutional investments."
"They were personally guaranteed by Richard Sterling."
Matthew's smile faded.
"The controlling preferred shares attached to those guarantees have never been exercised."
"Until today."
The final page contained a single signed document.
Emergency Conversion of Controlling Equity.
Richard Sterling now held fifty-four percent of voting control.
Matthew stared at the signature.
"You planned this?"
Richard answered calmly.
May you like
"No."
"You did."
