Chapter 11
Caldwell scurried forward, his face soaked in sweat, unlocking the digital notarization interface on the Nasdaq console with a trembling keycard.
"Mateo, wait," Caldwell hissed in a frantic whisper, his eyes darting toward the clock. "The Delaware Chancery’s statutory cross-filing hasn't sent back the preliminary clerk clearance yet. We should wait until morning before executing the Section Two-Fifty-One consolidation—"
"I don't give a damn about waiting until morning!" Mateo roared, snatching the heavy titanium cryptographic authorization token from his breast pocket. "The SEC approved the prospectus Monday! Tonight we seal the statutory consolidation, and tomorrow morning at nine-thirty, the bell rings!"
He held the token high above his head, turning to face the three hundred guests, the television cameras, and the silent, watching figures of Julian and Sienna.
The digital clock mounted above the temple’s reflecting pool clicked over from eleven-fifty-nine PM to twelve-zero-zero AM.
Midnight had struck. Exactly six days had passed since Sienna signed the waiver; exactly nine and a half hours remained before Wall Street opened its doors.
Mateo threw his head back, his voice dripping with triumphant, venomous malice as he locked his glare onto Sienna’s cool, unblinking eyes.
He raised his crystal glass high with his left hand, sneering across the room that by nine-thirty AM tomorrow, Sienna would be erased from maritime history forever.
With a theatrical, vicious thrust of his right hand, Mateo plunged his titanium authorization token straight into the digital notary terminal.
*Clack.*
The blue LED light on the console flashed brilliant white, transmitting the irreversible cryptographic signature across the global regulatory fiber grid to execute the Section 251 consolidation certificate.
At that exact second, the slim evening clutch in Sienna’s hand let out a soft, sharp chime.
She opened the clasp. On the screen of her phone, a notification flashed with the official gold seal of the Delaware Court of Chancery:
**OFFICIAL SECTOR CONFIRMATION: STATUTORY OMNIBUS CONSOLIDATION ACCEPTED. MASTER DEFAULT COVENANT 14(B) ACTIVATED. RECORDING COMPLETE.**
Beside her, Julian didn't take his eyes off Mateo’s smug, ignorant face. He leaned down, his warm lips brushing the soft curve of Sienna’s ear, his voice a low, thrilling whisper that sent fire racing through her veins:
"It’s time to take your throne."
