CHAPTER 139: VALENTINO FRAISER
Almost immediately, Angelo entered the boardroom, followed by two men who were escorting a clearly distressed Valentino Fraiser. James noticed the undisguised panic that flashed across Timothy's face. He turned to him, a steely glint in his eyes. "Mr. Hutchkins," he said, his voice laced with a hint of irony, "I believe this is as real as it gets, wouldn't you agree?"
Hutchkins swallowed hard, unable to form a coherent response.
The moment the shareholders saw Fraiser, a wave of angry murmurs swept through the room. They began pointing fingers and directing harsh accusations at him. The room descended into chaos until James's sharp voice cut through the noise. "Enough!"
Silence fell instantly. James fixed his gaze on Fraiser, who stood before him, looking defeated. "Valentino Fraiser," James said, his voice firm and unwavering, "do you acknowledge the charges brought against you?"
Fraiser, meeting the stern, unforgiving look in James's eyes, visibly gulped. He lowered his head in a gesture of shame and tacit acceptance.
James turned to his lawyer. "Benjamin, what are our next steps?"
Benjamin cleared his throat and began to outline their legal strategy. "First, we will file a lawsuit for breach of contract, along with a potential suspension of his shareholder voting rights. We will seek several remedies: damages, compensation, and an injunction. His actions alone are sufficient grounds to terminate his contract as a shareholder, as stipulated in Section IV, Clause II of the shareholder agreement contract. However," Benjamin added, "the termination requires the agreement of every shareholder present."
As soon as Fraiser heard the lawyer's words, his eyes filled with desperation. He dropped to his knees before James, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mr. Chairman, I was deceived!" he pleaded. "I swear, I didn't even know how this… this happened!"
"But you were planning to flee the country," James countered, his voice devoid of sympathy. "My men apprehended you just as you were about to board a plane—using an alias, at that."
Fraiser looked up at him, his face etched with fear. "It was all planned," he stammered. "I… I had no choice. It was either use an alias to travel or be… taken away. I had no say in any of this."
"Who contacted you?" James pressed.
"It was a man… I don't know his name," Fraiser confessed. "He contacted me and offered me an amount I couldn't refuse. Then he told me I had to disappear. I was going to come straight to you, but… they threatened to kill me." He looked up at James, his eyes brimming with tears. "Chairman, please… is there no other way?"
James turned to Benjamin, who sighed heavily. "Fraiser," Benjamin said, his voice firm but measured, "we can try to settle this amicably. However, you will still have to pay the compensation fees and damages, and your shareholder rights will still be revoked. If you are unable to pay," he added, his tone hardening, "you will be sent to prison."
Fraiser's mind reeled. Did the boss train all his people to be this merciless? he thought, a wave of despair washing over him. The realization of the immense sum of money he would have to pay crashed down on him. He slumped to the floor, his world spinning. "Please, Chairman," he begged, his voice barely a whisper. "Just… lock me up yourself. Keep me safe. It would be better than falling into the hands of those men who deceived me."
James studied Fraiser for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he turned to Benjamin. "Have him sign the contract and liquidate all his accounts since he can't meet the payment requirements."
Facing the board, his expression remained cold. "All those in favor of terminating Valentino Fraiser's contract, say 'Aye.'"
A chorus of "Aye" rang out almost immediately.
"Well, the majority carries the vote," James said flatly. He gestured to his men. "Take him away and lock him up for good."
The men grabbed Fraiser and dragged him out of the room. James rose from his seat, his commanding presence silencing the remaining murmurs. "That concludes today's meeting."
The board members stood respectfully as James exited, followed by his brother, secretary, and lawyer. As they approached Timothy, James stopped in front of him.
"Mr. Hutchkins," James said, his tone sharp, "I think it's time we had a talk, don't you?"
Timothy forced a smile and nodded. "Of course, Mr. Chairman," he replied, though bitterness churned in his heart as he followed James out of the boardroom.