She Fired the Single Dad—Then He Smiled and Said, “Check Who Owns This Building.” Everyone Froze!
Chapter 6
The board meeting began at nine.
Victor Lang stood at the front of the room.
He was confident.
Professional.
Calm.
He believed Ethan was still the fired maintenance worker who didn’t understand corporate power.
The board listened.
Victor presented a sale agreement.
“Grantstone Tower will be sold to Lang Development Partners.”
The chairman nodded.
“Approved.”
Then the doors opened.
Ethan walked in.
He wore a simple navy shirt and work boots.
Several board members whispered.
Victor smiled.
“Mr. Brooks.”
Ethan took a seat.
“You’re not on the board.”
“I know.”
Victor laughed.
“You were terminated.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Yes.”
Victor turned to security.
“Remove him.”
Nobody moved.
Victor frowned.
“Security?”
The head of security looked at Ethan.
Then at Charles.
He stepped aside.
Victor’s smile disappeared.
Ethan placed the trust certificate on the table.
“This building isn’t yours to sell.”
Victor stared.
“What is that?”
“Title.”
“To what?”
“Grantstone Tower.”
Victor laughed.
“You can’t own this company.”
“I don’t.”
“Then you can’t stop the sale.”
Ethan smiled.
“I own the building.”
Silence.
He slid the deed across the table.
Victor grabbed it.
His face changed.
“This is fraudulent.”
Charles spoke.
“It is valid.”
Victor looked at him.
“Who authorized this?”
“Daniel Brooks.”
“He’s dead.”
“Yes.”
“He couldn’t transfer it eleven months ago.”
“He transferred it before he died.”
Victor froze.
Ethan looked around the table.
“My father planned this.”
Victor slammed the deed down.
“This changes nothing.”
“It changes everything.”
Ethan handed out another document.
The lease agreement.
Grantstone Holdings owed him $18 million in unpaid rent.
Victor stared.
“You can’t enforce that.”
“I already did.”
“What?”
“My attorney filed the claim this morning.”
Victor looked at Charles.
Charles smiled.
“Your accounts are frozen.”
The board erupted.
Victor turned red.
“You can’t do this.”
Ethan remained calm.
“I didn’t.”
“My father did.”
Victor stared at him.
Then smiled.
“You think you’ve won?”
“No.”
Ethan leaned forward.
“I think you made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“You assumed I cared about the building.”
Victor laughed.
“Then why take it?”
“Because I care about the people inside it.”
The room became quiet.
Ethan opened another folder.
Employees who had been laid off.
Supplier contracts manipulated.
Maintenance budgets cut.
Insurance switched.
Property records altered.
He had evidence.
Victor’s smile disappeared.
“Where did you get this?”
“From someone you underestimated.”
Victor looked at Melissa.
She stood.
“I gave him everything.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“You traitor.”
Melissa looked back.
“No.”
She pointed at Ethan.
“I finally chose the right person.”
Victor shouted for security.
But security stayed still.
Then federal investigators entered.
Victor froze.
Charles stepped aside.
Ethan watched as investigators placed documents on the table.
Victor whispered:
“You set me up.”
Ethan shook his head.
“You set yourself up.”
But one final question remained.
The investigators weren’t there only for Victor.
They looked at Ethan.
“Mr. Brooks?”
“Yes?”
“We have evidence your father’s death may not have been accidental.”
Ethan froze.
“My father’s death?”
“Yes.”
The room went silent.
Victor looked terrified.
One investigator continued:
“Someone tampered with his vehicle.”
Ethan turned toward Victor.
Victor shook his head.
“It wasn’t me.”
Ethan didn’t answer.
Because suddenly the corporate conspiracy was something much darker.
Someone had killed his father.
And they might still be alive.
