Chapter 4 - The Boardroom and the Beast
The board of directors' conference room on the tenth floor of Lakeview Memorial was a monument to old-money luxury. Mahogany walls, a massive oval table cut from a single piece of dark granite, and leather chairs that smelled of wealth and cigars.
On Monday morning at ten o'clock, the atmosphere inside was suffocating.
Dr. Grant Halpern sat at the far end of the table, his collar unbuttoned, his tie loose. His usual arrogant posture was gone, replaced by a nervous, twitching energy. His father, Richard Halpern, a retired surgeon with silver hair and a face like a hawk, stood behind him, his hands resting on his son's shoulders.
"This is a coordinated hit!" Richard Halpern shouted at the hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Arthur Vance. "Grant is the most productive surgeon in this state! You cannot suspend him based on anonymous internet garbage!"
"It's not garbage, Richard," Arthur Vance said, his voice flat as he rubbed his temples. "The state medical board has already initiated an investigation. The state attorney's office has subpoenaed our billing records. Every donor who contributed to the new pediatric wing has threatened to withdraw their funding if Grant is not terminated by noon today."
"They're cowards!" Grant snarled, slamming his fist onto the granite table. "I built that department! I'm the chief! You can't fire me because of some disgruntled nurses and a few bad outcomes!"
Before Vance could reply, the heavy mahogany doors of the boardroom swung open.
The security guard outside didn't even try to stop them.
Leo stepped into the room first, his massive frame easily occupying the doorway. He held the door open, his face expressionless as another man walked in.
Roman.
He was no longer wearing a hospital gown. He was dressed in a bespoke, three-piece charcoal suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. The white linen shirt beneath his vest was immaculate, showing no sign of the bandages or the wounds beneath. He walked slowly, his hand resting lightly on a silver-headed cane, but his posture was that of a king entering his court.
Behind him walked two lawyers in expensive suits, carrying leather briefcases.
"Who the hell are you?" Richard Halpern demanded, stepping forward. "This is a private board meeting!"
Roman did not look at the older man. He walked to the empty chair at the head of the table—the chair usually reserved for the largest donor—and sat down. Leo stood behind him like a stone monument.
One of Roman's lawyers stepped forward, opening his briefcase and sliding a thick stack of documents across the table to the CEO.
"My name is Marcus Vance, representing the Sokolov Holding Group," the lawyer said. "As of eight o'clock this morning, Sokolov Group has purchased forty-eight percent of the outstanding debt of Lakeview Memorial Hospital. We have also acquired the naming rights to the new pediatric wing, having matched and exceeded the Halpern family’s previous donations by five million dollars."
Arthur Vance's hands shook as he looked at the documents. "You... you bought the debt?"
"We own the building, Mr. Vance," Roman said, his low, rasping voice instantly commanding the room. "We own the equipment. We own the land this hospital sits on. Which means, practically speaking, I own you."
He turned his gray eyes toward Grant Halpern.
Grant flinched, the memory of those cold eyes from the trauma bay suddenly rushing back. He remembered the bleeding man on Bed Four.
"You," Grant whispered, his face turning a sickly shade of white.
"Me," Roman agreed. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the silver head of his cane. "Dr. Halpern. You are a very talented surgeon. But you have a terrible habit."
"What... what do you want?" Grant stammered, his father trying to pull him back, but Grant was too terrified to move.
"I don't like people who take things that don't belong to them," Roman said. "You took Clara Bennett’s dignity. You took her peace of mind. And you did it in my presence."
"It was a minor incident!" Richard Halpern interjected, trying to regain control. "An administrative dispute! We can settle this financially—"
"I don't want your money, old man," Roman said, his voice turning ice-cold. "I have more money than your family will earn in ten generations. What I want is balance."
He looked at the CEO. "Mr. Vance. You will terminate Dr. Grant Halpern’s employment immediately. You will strip him of his chief status, and you will cooperate fully with the state medical board’s investigation to ensure his license is permanently revoked."
"You can't do that!" Grant screamed, standing up, his chair rattling against the floor. "My father is on the board! We have lawyers!"
"Your father’s seat on the board has been dissolved," Roman’s lawyer said smoothly, sliding another paper across the table. "As the majority debt holder, we have restructured the board. Richard Halpern is no longer a member."
Richard fell back into his chair, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
Roman stood up, using his cane for support but showing no signs of weakness. He walked down the length of the table until he was standing directly in front of Grant Halpern.
The chief surgeon, once so tall and imposing in the ER, seemed to shrink under Roman’s shadow.
"You told her she was replaceable," Roman said softly, his voice a dangerous whisper that only Grant could hear. "But you are the one who is being replaced, Doctor. By tomorrow, your name will be gone from this building. By next week, your license will be gone. And if I ever see your face in this city again..."
May you like
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to.
The look in his gray eyes was a death sentence.
