Returning to the Boardroom

The Maddox Holdings headquarters towered over the street, its glass façade reflecting the gray Manhattan morning. Lex stepped out of the town car, straightening his jacket as Elias Marr exited beside him.

No intern badge today. No polite nods to assistants who barely glanced at him.

Today, Lex Latham walked in as a stakeholder.

The receptionist barely had time to register his presence before Elias was already moving, his presence alone enough to clear the path. Employees stole glances, whispers already starting to spread through the office halls.

Lex didn't slow. He had a war room to reclaim.

The executive floor was eerily quiet when Lex stepped out of the elevator. He didn't go to the intern bullpen like yesterday. He turned right—straight for his father's old office.

Barnie had let it rot.

The door creaked slightly as Elias pushed it open. Inside, the space was clean, but neglected. The desk was smaller than Barnie's sprawling monstrosity, but it was positioned with purpose. The side meeting room was still intact, the long glass wall separating it from the main office. And then there was the war room—a compact, 100-square-foot nerve center designed for closed-door strategy sessions.

"I am going to use this office, now," Lex said simply.

Elias smirked. "I assumed as much."

Lex glanced at the war room, already mentally sketching out what needed to happen next. "I'll set it up within the week. Monitors, direct feeds—market data on a rolling loop."

Elias nodded, already making notes. "You'll need a team to filter the noise."

Lex's smirk was sharp. "I already made a house call last night. Eleanor Graham."

Eleanor Graham was a walking legend—a veteran secretary and extraordinary accountant who had walked away from the Maddox when Barnie started his shady management style.

"What did you say to her?" Elias asked, arching an eyebrow.

Lex smirked. "That she could help me make history."

Elias chuckled. "You really don't do things halfway."

"Never have," Lex said, glancing at the time. "We need to move. The board meeting starts in fifteen."

It was a moment when Lex and Elias entered the conference room, the board members were already seated. Barnie was not.

Trent was acting as his representive sat stiffly near the end of the table. A few others whispered among themselves. They weren't sure what to expect after Lex outburst yesterday.

Lex walked to the head of the table—not Barnie's usual seat, but his father's old position. He let the moment settle before speaking.

"Gentlemen, and Aunties. I called this meeting because we have a problem," Lex started, his voice calm but carrying weight.

Elias took his seat beside him, placing a thick folder on the table.

"The market is collapsing faster than expected," Lex continued. "Liquidity is drying up. One of the 'too big to fail' firms is going under. We need to be ahead of it."

The room fell silent.

Trent leaned forward, his tone skeptical. "And where exactly are you getting this information, Latham?"

Lex met his gaze evenly. "From the same place that's about to wipe out every overleveraged fund in the city."

A few murmurs spread around the table as Elinor pass the folders to each person.

Elias flipped the presentation, revealing the data. "Lehman Brothers is failing."

Trent's smirk faltered.

Lex continued, unfazed. "Hedge funds are scrambling. Banks are panicking. The ones who move first win. And I'm proposing we stop losing."

A board member, a senior partner named Calloway, frowned. "And what exactly are you suggesting?"

Lex leaned forward. "That Maddox Holdings stop burning money. Barnie's been gambling with our assets, making risky plays in distressed properties."

Trent bristled. "That's a gross exaggeration—"

"It's not," Elias cut in smoothly. "Our positions are bleeding."

Lex tapped the folder. "So instead of losing, we short the hedge. We place the same bets as Maddox Holdings but in reverse. We hedge against ourselves. When the market crashes, we make money instead of losing everything."

Silence.

Calloway adjusted his tie. "You want us to bet against our own investments?"

Lex smirked. "I want us to survive."

The weight of it settled in.

A few of the older board members exchanged glances. They weren't idiots. The signs had been there—they just didn't want to admit it.

Trent's voice was sharp. "And if Barnie says no?"

Lex's smirk turned cold.

"He doesn't get a say if the board votes it. Especially since I hold major voting rights."

As the tension lingered, Lex made his final move.

"I'm also making another recommendation," he said, sliding another file forward.

The cover read: BEAR STEARNS ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY.

Calloway's eyes widened. "Bear Stearns? They're collapsing."

Lex nodded. "Which is why we buy. Not everything—just enough to take a piece when the dust settles. JP Morgan's already circling, but if we move fast, we can carve out our own stake before they close the deal."

Elias smirked. That was the part even he hadn't expected.

Trent scoffed. "And how exactly do you expect Maddox Holdings to afford that? You think we have the liquidity to compete with JP Morgan?"

Lex's smirk didn't waver. "The trust has 20% cash reserves for opportunities."

A hush fell over the room.

Calloway leaned in slightly. "You're saying the trust has to finance this?"

Lex exhaled slowly, tapping the table once. "It's a low risk activity and we are playing by the books."

Trent's expression darkened. Lex was no longer an intern.

Elias turned toward the rest of the board. "We need a vote."

Silence.

Then—one by one—hands rose.

Calloway the oldest stackholder nodded. "The hedge plays move forward. And we explore Bear Stearns."

Lex stood, straightening his suit.

"Then let's make history."

As he and Elias walked out of the boardroom, Elias chuckled. "You really just convinced them to bet against themselves."

Lex smirked. This was the move that mark Lex's return.