Chapter 10 - The Phantom Investor
Two weeks after the Founders' Ball, a new storm began brewing behind the immaculate glass facade of Mercer-Hawthorne Global Logistics.
Marcus Vance strode into my office early Monday morning, looking unusually grave as he tossed a thick sheaf of encrypted financial printouts onto my desk.
"We have a complication, Elena," Marcus said without preamble, pulling up a digital tablet. "Over the past seventy-two hours, an anonymous offshore conglomerate registered in the Cayman Islands—operating under the shell corporation *Aegis Capital*—has been aggressively buying up distressed short positions in our secondary stock tier."
I looked down at the printouts, my eyes scanning the transaction codes and routing numbers. "Aegis Capital? Who is backing them? Sovereign wealth funds? Hedge fund syndicates?"
"That's the troubling part," Marcus replied, leaning over the desk. "The capital trails lead back to Zurich, but the actual proxy trader executing the block trades is a man named Viktor Vance—no relation to Jonathan or me. He's an elite corporate raider known for launching hostile proxy wars against newly restructured enterprises."
Before I could respond, the office intercom chimed softly.
May you like
"Madame Chairperson," the receptionist's voice came through. "There is a gentleman in the lobby insisting on an immediate, unannounced meeting with you. He says his name is Viktor Vance, and he claims he has a proposition you cannot afford to refuse."
I looked up at Marcus, a cold, sharp smile touching my lips. "Well, it seems the ghosts of Boston finance are refusing to stay in their graves. Send him up, Marcus. Let's see what kind of stitches Mr. Viktor Vance brings to my workshop."
