Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series by Ainsley Claire (easy readers .txt) 📗

The door bangs open, and ten agents rush in with their  windbreakers all clearly marked FBI in bright yellow. Jim strolls in behind them.

“Mr. Mao, we have a warrant for your arrest on the charges of espionage and being a foreign agent.”

His eyes pop as he looks around, as if he thinks he can get past the agents and run—no chance of that.

“I didn’t do anything like that,” he exclaims.

I lean in. “Victor, I suggest you shut your mouth and call a lawyer. You can try the Chinese embassy, but I doubt they’ll acknowledge that they know you. After all, the amount of data you breached is significant. And I’ll be chasing you in civil court, so make sure you find someone for that case too.”

He’s led out in handcuffs, and they take him into the conference room with the frosted glass.

Sarah comes in. “Are you okay?”

“I will be after I get past the next meeting,” I tell her.

“Mr. Tuberville is on his way up.”

“Perfect. Send him in.”

Jim stands with his arms crossed. “You did great. Just one more to go.”

“I can do this,” I say, more for myself than for him. I’m so angry that it’s hard not to lose my cool and go off on these guys.

The door opens, and Alex walks in as Jim walks out. “Mia! Good to see you back. I was getting rather comfortable in this office.”

“I heard that.” I point to the chair. “Please have a seat. I wanted to go through the agenda with you for today’s board meeting.”

He smiles and looks as slippery as a snake. “Well, I should prepare you. The board has decided to let you go. We’ll buy back your shares at a quarter of the market rate. Given that you’ve conspired with a Russian spy, the board feels you’re a liability to the company.”

It’s my turn to look smug. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“You don’t have a choice,” he sneers.

“Actually, you won’t be at today’s meeting.”

He snorts. “You think? One phone call, and they’ll all back me. You can prevent me from going to today’s meeting, but this has been building for a while.”

Four FBI officers walk in, and he’s so busy self-aggrandizing that he doesn’t realize it.

“I don’t think you’ll want to waste your one phone call on that.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Mr. Tuberville, we have a warrant for your arrest.”

“You can’t have me arrested,” Alex barks.

I nod. “Trust me, I know. But I’m not behind this. You are. You see, the FBI has been tracking Victor, and they have you on tape scheming to defraud the company and commit corporate espionage.” I lean in. “You’re toast, asshole.”

They cuff him and lead him out. I sit down at my desk and feel like I’m going to throw up.

“You were fantastic,” Jim says, appearing in the doorway. “Mason’s blowing up my phone checking on you. I should warn you, he’s on his way over.”

I smile. “Thanks for the heads up.”

He steps out. I need my friends. I send out a group text to my Stiletto Sisters.

Me: The Tiger Den 6:30 for drinks? It’s already been one of those days.

Toni: I’ll be there.

Elena: Count me in.

Caroline: I wouldn’t miss it.

Ryder: First round on me.

Claire: If Ryder’s buying, I wouldn’t miss that!

Ryder: That’s right, sister!

Marci: Walker just told me. I’ll be there.

Elena: What happened?

Me: Just don’t be late. You won’t want to miss a second of this story!

Mason bursts in with a giant grin. “I heard you were incredible!”

I smile. “Thanks. I don’t think the urge to vomit has quite passed yet.”

He waves that away. “The board will be relieved to learn Alex isn’t forcing you out.”

“No, he’s not forcing me out.”

We hang out in my office for a little while, and I feel pretty good by the time we need to leave for the board meeting. “I think it’s time to get to the Fairmont.”

“Good idea.” Mason stands and groans. “My legs are stiff today.”

“Old man,” Jim barbs.

“My first mistake was thinking I could keep up with you and Nate during your workout.” He turns to me. “Do you want to celebrate tonight?”

“I’ve called the girls for drinks. That’s probably enough.”

“Okay.”

After a quick ride with Jim and Mason in a Clear Security Cadillac Escalade, we walk into the Fairmont meeting room. As usual, despite it being twenty minutes before our meeting, most of the board is here. “I’m sorry, did Alex ask you here early?”

Sandra Collins stands. “Actually, we were meeting without him. We want it clear that we’re not comfortable with his plan for this meeting. I’ve never felt so pressured. I fear Alex wants to take this company in the wrong direction, which is forcing me to resign.”

One by one, my entire board submits their resignation leaving only me and Mason. My heart soars. “Before I accept these and you leave, I’d like to bring you up to speed on a few things.”

I walk them through the arrests of Victor Mao and Alex Tuberville this morning. “The case is solid against both of them,” I explain. “I know I’ve been gone, but I hope you’ll reconsider your resignations and join me to right this ship.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Jennifer Wisk says.

“You have my support,” Mason says.

As the meeting begins in earnest, I turn to Mason. “I’d like to engage Emerson Healy’s team to begin the search for a qualified CFO and CEO for Diamond Analytics.”

Mason’s eyes go wide. “What are you saying?”

“I think over the next year, I’d like to transition to just being the majority shareholder and a board member. That forced break showed me