Interlude: Dissolving Contracts
York Industries-Lower Manhattan, New York
Silver Sablinova
Silver's father was a Nazi hunter, considered the best in Europe, even working alongside James Howlett, the Canadian at the time.
Her mother was murdered when their home was bombed. Silver, witnessing the act, had begged her father to train her so that she could avenge her mother's murder, and though he tried his best to discourage her, he soon realized her potential, and she soon began joining him on hunts.
Silver had been reading the local news; a lot was happening in the city. A vigilante called Spiderman had fought against some mutated human that looked like a Rhino on steroids and another man in a cybernetic suit based on a scorpion.
A fire had happened in Harlem; witnesses claimed it was a battle between three groups, and a local politician's mother was murdered in the crosshair.
Her motorcade arrived posthaste outside of York Towers; she hadn't had time to digest what she read thoroughly, but she would return to it later.
As a foreign diplomat, she had been awarded many concessions, and one had been permission to bypass red lights.
As her arrival hadn't been between states but between entities, she hadn't needed to announce her arrival. She knew the state knew she was present and was on business as CEO.
Their lawyers argued over the breach in the agreement, but Sable International had leaned on the clause in the contract, a recently discovered clause. She would have to thank the ingenious lawyers later. The clause stated the dissolution or sale of the company would constitute a breach if not performed by the legally authorized bloodline heir in accordance with the bilateral deal.
"The boy is unfit." Laura York said. Her husband's hand struck out, gripping her arm. Laura jerked away, sneering at her husband.
Princess Silver Sablinova, heir apparent and current CEO of Sable International, hadn't expected the meeting with the York Enterprise board to go the way it did.
Unknown to Cole, his family had set up a meeting with a majority supplier of computer chips and other components to York Enterprises.
Cole Stephen had been asleep when the meeting took place early Saturday morning. If he were awake, he would have recalled another meeting he had missed
Sable observed them impassively, her training affording her array of insight.
"Baptise York was your half-brother, correct?" The Symkaria princess asked after some time.
"As is that matters! We're blood; the deal shouldn't even be in contention."
Nonplussed, Sable continued. "Blood begets blood. That is something we honor in my country. It is a pity what has occurred, but the company stance, and especially my stance, will remain unchanged."
"We will sue!"
"How dare you! We're Yorks."
Her lawyers scoffed at them. They were, in fact, not Yorks.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken."
"Let's not be hasty. The deal will be a significant blow to both companies. And let's not even consider the damages to your constituents. Symkaria isn't a rich country; our technology and innovation have helped your kingdom." One of the brothers added.
"Why end this? Because of blood?" Another scoffed; she hadn't even recalled his name.
"Let's do a new deal. Use our kids as placeholders, same stakes."
The well-manicured face of the Sable International and Princess's face scrunched.
"A deal in which you're going to sell to." She turned some papers over. "Rand enterprises?" She looked back at them. "If I'm not wrong, their heir is also missing. That's quite a coincidence."
Her words caused the air in the room to become strained as the Yorks looked around. The men, she noted, of Asian descent stood in the corners, moving imperceptibly to ordinary observer's eyes.
Stephen York adjusted his tie and began to speak. He was the elder brother and the acting CEO.
"It's a merger. And he was the oldest, lost at sea." He stated. He
"Merger that will see the company that Baptise York founded and created vanished under the thumb of another. That isn't something my country wants to see." Sable argued.
"And what right do you have to sell the company? No wait. Merge. What right do the half-siblings of Baptise have? If I'm not mistaken, he made a concession for you all to arrive in this country and have better lives, and you are willing to destroy his legacy and deny his blood."
"He's unfit-"
"He's unfit because you have failed the boy." She interrupted. "Your nephew has been in the care of a state-run orphanage since the death of his parents, yet you have the time to raise your children and go on vacations."
"We have no obligations to take care of their son."
She paused, containing her rising anger before carrying on. "How is that not a concern of ours?"
Her honor guard shifted. Sable eyes cut over to her shifting guards, noting the apparent soldiers on the York side, eyes boring into her.
'Not now, Colleen.'
"What more do you want?" Stephen barked.
"We have shown you his criminal record, and even now, he flaunts our name and good graces, seeing as he ran away when we were prepared for your people to meet him."
It was all a lie. The Yorks weren't going to allow Jeremy to meet with Sable International. Hell, they never even expected the boy to survive this long.
He looked around at the table. All of his siblings had been here for the meeting. Each must take a stake in the company to keep it from going to Baptise's son.
Their half-brother hadn't allowed them much choice. He was preparing to cut their side of the family out. What about their kids? Should they have just returned to Hati? He sneered inwardly at even entertaining that idea.
Stephen gritted his teeth after they had taken him in when their father had left him on their hobble all those years ago, and he wanted to throw them away.
Stephen cut his eyes toward the men in suits around the room. He had been supposed to sign more documents securing their ascent inside the company, but the kid had run and even hired a lawyer.
"I'm afraid the multi-billion dollar deal between our two companies has ended," Sable said, ignoring the clamoring of the board members. Her eyes locked on the man sitting opposite her, smiling as if he had won.
'Interesting.' She thought.
She stood, and her honor guard stood alongside, flanking the princess.
Her trademark silver eyes never departed from the man across from her. Her investigation into her aunt's death has led her back to America.
Coleen Wing
Colleen Wing was the daughter of Professor Lee Wing, a professor of Oriental studies at New York's Columbia University. Her mother, Azumi Ozawa, was killed by an apparent unknown assailant while Colleen was still a child.
Colleen grew up in the mountains of northern Honshu in Japan, where she was raised by her grandfather, Kenji Ozawa. Kenji's other children died in World War II. Kenji trained his only grandchild in the arts of the samurai, which his ancestors had been during the daimyo.
Her aunt was Yuki York. Yuko, the alias she had taken arriving in New York, had married another immigrant like herself, and the two went on to found one of the most prosperous companies of the early 2000s.
Yuko wasn't her biological aunt. Yuko had aided her family long ago. Her grandfather hadn't told her what Yuki did, but he had said Yuki was an honorable samurai and warrior and had great affection for the woman.
Her mother and Yuki had become friends during that time, and it was Yuki who had learned that her killer was, but she hadn't told Colleen, wanting the young girl at the time to complete her training before she faced her mother's killers.
It was during her training that she came into the employ of the Symkaria royal family, and if, by fate, she learned of a connection between Symkaria and the Yorks and that her Aunt had been murdered—her cousin's company all but taken from him.
Silver Sablinova
She started from the winder of her car, wondering what move the company would make to force her hand.
"Felicity hasn't checked in."
She had been a friend of her mother's before her untimely passing, and her wish was for her daughter to right the wrong that occurred to her family savior.
Her first act as CEO was to end the deal that the families had solidified. Admittedly, her grandfather had disowned his daughter out of anger, not because she married a black man. Unfortunately, the two hadn't had the opportunity to reconcile.
The Hatian-American businessman; she meant the latter loosely. The man before her was neither a man nor a businessman: Stephan York, brother of the late Sebastian York.
He stood and adjusted his suit. "Enjoy your stay in New York, princess." The York CEO said with a tight crocodile smile.
Their lawyers argued over the breach in the agreement, but York Enterprise had leaned into the clause in the contract.
The clause stated the dissolution or sale of the company can only be performed by the legally authorized bloodline heir.
'The dead cannot cry out for justice. The living must do that for them.' She thought as her heels knocked against the floor, her entourage spanned around her. Colleen stewed beside her and remained silent as she allowed Sabel's plan to play out.
'Just where are you, Jeremy York?' She said to herself.