The Thorne Heiress Unveiling Shadow novel Chapter 16

The emergency board meeting was a sea of grim faces in small boxes on a massive screen. Chase, looking composed despite the sleepless night, addressed the Thorne Corporation's board of directors from his office. The mood, which had been celebratory less than a day ago, was now thick with tension and recrimination.

"As you are all aware," Chase began, his voice calm and steady, "yesterday, our company was the target of a sophisticated, hostile cyberattack that threatened the very existence of the StarLink project. I am pleased to report that the threat has been neutralized, all data has been recovered, and the launch will proceed on schedule."

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the virtual meeting. The directors' faces softened, their shoulders relaxing. But the relief was short-lived.

A gruff, imposing man with a bulldog-like face, Mr. Williams, unmuted his microphone. Williams was a long-serving board member who had inherited his seat and had always viewed Chase's rise to CEO as an affront to his own seniority. He saw weakness, and he was circling like a shark that smelled blood.

"Neutralized?" Williams boomed, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Chase, with all due respect, your Head of IT, Mr. Peterson, sent out a company-wide memo less than twelve hours ago stating that the situation was 'unrecoverable.' He advised paying the billion-dollar ransom. Now, you're telling us everything is fine? Forgive me for finding that a little hard to swallow."

"The situation was dire," Chase conceded, his expression unreadable. "However, we were able to bring in a highly-skilled independent consultant who resolved the issue."

"The consultant's identity is confidential, per our agreement," Chase said, his voice hard as steel. "Their results speak for themselves. The company is safe. The project is back on track. That is the only relevant information for this board."

"Unacceptable!" Williams roared, slamming a fist on his desk for effect. "I will not have the security of this corporation compromised by some anonymous ghost! I am formally motioning for a vote of no confidence in CEO Chase Thorne's handling of this crisis! Let's see how our shareholders feel about your leadership when they hear about this near-catastrophe!"

The meeting was spiraling out of his control. Chase could see the calculating looks on the other directors' faces as they weighed their loyalties against Williams's powerful challenge. He had saved the company, but he was about to lose his position on the throne.