All Chapters of The Forgotten Heir: Chapter 91
- Chapter 100
117 chapters
COLLAPSE
Marcus Chen walked into Sera's office at 8:47 AM on Friday morning carrying the quarterly financial statements that he'd spent the previous seventy-two hours attempting to salvage through creative accounting and optimistic projections. His expression told Sera everything she needed to know before he even spoke—the numbers were catastrophic, and there was no way to present them that wouldn't trigger an immediate crisis."We're in default on six major loan agreements," Marcus said entering the office, setting the thick financial report on Sera's desk. "The quarterly results show multiple violations that give our lenders the right to declare default, accelerate repayment schedules, and potentially foreclose on collateral."Sera opened the report, seeing rows of numbers highlighted in red where Shaw Realty's financial metrics had fallen below the minimum thresholds required by loan covenants. Debt-to-equity ratios that exceeded maximum allowable levels. Interest coverage ratios below min
THE FORBEARANCE MARATHON
Elias sat in the secure conference room at Shaw Realty's headquarters on Monday morning, his left arm still immobilized in the complex shoulder brace that limited his movement and sent spikes of pain through damaged tissue whenever he shifted position. Across the table, three representatives from Sterling Bank reviewed financial projections with the skeptical expressions of people who'd heard optimistic promises from troubled borrowers too many times before."Mr. Vance, we appreciate the comprehensive presentation," said Robert Harrison, Sterling's chief credit officer. "But the fundamental problem remains—Shaw Realty has violated multiple covenants in our loan agreement, your financial position continues to deteriorate, and we see no clear path to restoring compliance within reasonable timeframes."Sera, seated beside Elias, leaned forward with documentation they'd spent the weekend preparing. "What we're showing you isn't just financial projections. It's evidence of coordinated crim
LEGAL SIEGE
Sarah Winters stood in the conference room at Shaw Realty's headquarters on Friday morning, surrounded by legal documents designed to drain the company's remaining resources. She'd spent the night reviewing the filings with horror, recognizing the complications and strategic timing of what could only be described as total legal warfare."We're being sued on seventeen different fronts simultaneously," Sarah told Sera, spreading the documents across the conference table. "Each lawsuit is structured to survive initial dismissal motions, require extensive discovery, and consume enormous legal resources. This isn't random litigation—this is an assault designed to destroy us through legal attrition."Sera reviewed the complaint summaries with growing dread. Class action lawsuit from tenants alleging unsafe building conditions and seeking damages plus rent reductions. Securities fraud action from shareholders claiming material misstatements in financial disclosures. Environmental lawsuit fr
THE BLACKMAIL PACKAGE
The package arrived at Shaw Realty's headquarters on Monday morning, addressed to Elias Vance personally and marked with enough security warnings to ensure it bypassed normal mail screening and went directly to his office. David Chen, heading Shaw Realty's security team in Park's absence, intercepted it before delivery and immediately called for explosive detection and biohazard screening protocols."It's clean—no explosives, no biological threats, no chemical hazards," Chen reported to Elias after thorough scanning. "But sir, you need to see what's inside before we open it in your presence."The package contained a small cardboard box, professionally packaged with no return address and bearing postmarks suggesting it had been mailed from a commercial shipping center in Newark. Inside the box, cushioned by foam padding, were three USB drives, each labeled with printed stickers that made Elias's blood run cold:Evidence of Crimes - Financial FraudEvidence of Crimes - Bribery and Corru
INFRASTRUCTURE SABOTAGE
Patricia Rodriguez called Sera at 6:23 AM on Tuesday morning, her voice sounded like one that was panicking that immediately signaled a major crisis. Sera had been awake for hours already, unable to sleep while waiting for Dorian's network to release whatever evidence they'd threatened to expose. The call added a new dimension of disaster she hadn't anticipated."We have a serious problem at three properties simultaneously," Patricia said. "Madison Avenue building lost all elevator service overnight—someone cut power cables in the basement mechanical room. Riverside Plaza experienced complete HVAC failure due to sabotage of the control systems. And Harbor Tower's water supply was contaminated with chemicals that triggered automatic shutoffs and health warnings."Sera felt cold dread settling as she processed the coordination. "Three separate properties, three different types of infrastructure damage, all happening simultaneously overnight. This isn't coincidence—this is coordinated sa
FALSE WITNESS
Assistant Attorney General Victoria sat in her federal office in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon, reviewing what appeared to be the most comprehensive corporate fraud case to land on her desk in years. Across from her sat a nervous-looking man in his early forties who'd introduced himself as Michael Torres, former senior financial analyst for Shaw Realty Holdings, and who'd just spent two hours walking her through a detailed presentation of alleged systematic criminal activity."Let me make sure I understand what you're alleging," Victoria said, reviewing her notes. "You worked for Shaw Realty for seven years in their finance department, reporting directly to CFO Marcus Chen. During that time, you witnessed and participated in systematic financial fraud, including falsification of property valuations, manipulation of financial statements, concealment of liabilities, and bribery of government officials to obtain favorable treatment.""That's correct," Torres replied, his voice
THE SHAREHOLDER COUP (1)
Elias received the formal notice at 9:47 AM on Friday morning—a letter from Sterling Investment Partners, Shaw Realty's second-largest shareholder, formally requesting a special meeting of the board of directors to consider "leadership changes necessary to restore shareholder value and organizational stability." The letter was professionally worded but its intent was unmistakable: a coordinated effort to remove Elias from his position as CEO and Chairman of the company he'd founded fifteen years earlier."This is it," Marcus said quietly, reviewing the notice in Elias's office. "The shareholder revolt we've been anticipating. Sterling holds eighteen percent of outstanding shares. If they can convince other investors to support leadership change, they have enough votes to force board action."Sera read the letter over Elias's shoulder, feeling cold fury at the calculated timing. "The stock has declined sixty-three percent from its peak—from forty-two dollars per share to fifteen doll
THE SHAREHOLDER COUP (2)
Sarah began drafting a response strategy. "We need to communicate directly with all shareholders, not just the institutional investors leading the revolt. Explain the conspiracy, provide evidence of coordination, and argue that leadership stability is essential during this crisis period. We also need to secure commitments from friendly board members and convince persuadable independent directors that removing Elias serves Dorian's network's interests rather than shareholders'."She said, breaking the silence.Over the next several days, Shaw Realty mounted a comprehensive campaign to counter the shareholder revolt. Elias personally called every major investor, walking them through the evidence of criminal conspiracy and explaining how leadership change would hand victory to those orchestrating the attacks. Marcus prepared financial analysis showing that Shaw Realty's problems stemmed from external warfare rather than management failures. Park provided information linking Strategic Ca
THE CASCADE EFFECT
Marcus knocked at the office as he entered the office having a troubled look on his face."We have a problem," he said, his voice trembling. "Multiple problems, actually."Elias looked up from the acquisition proposal he'd been reviewing, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. Something in Marcus's expression made him set down his pen with deliberate care."Show me."Marcus laid the tablet on his desk, and Elias watched as the numbers painted a picture of creeping catastrophe. The Riverside Commons deal, their flagship development project—had hit another delay. The third quarter. But this time it wasn't weather or permits or the usual friction of large-scale construction. The general contractor had walked off the job, citing "payment concerns and irregularities in the financial documentation.""That's absurd," Elias said flatly. "Our payments have been on schedule. We have the wire confirmations.""We do. But somehow their bank is claiming they never received the last two
THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Sera Vance stood in the doorway of her home office, watching the Bloomberg terminal scroll through another round of devastating headlines about Shaw Realty. .She'd been tracking the attacks for weeks now, watching from her position on the board with the analytical detachment of someone trained to see patterns in chaos. But what had begun as corporate sabotage—vicious, yes, but manageable—had evolved into something far more dangerous. The attacks weren't just accumulating anymore. They were compounding, each one amplifying the damage of the others in ways that suggested a mathematical precision she found terrifying.Her phone buzzed with another notification. The Wall Street Journal, this time: "Shaw Realty Credit Rating Downgraded to Junk Status."Sera closed her eyes and did the mental calculations she'd been avoiding all morning. The credit downgrade would trigger clauses in at least seven of their major loan agreements. Those triggers would force immediate reviews, possibly accele