The man in the lead, a tall, silver-haired investigator named Thomas Sterling, stopped when he saw Andre. He checked a folder in his hand, then looked up, his eyes sharp and analytical.
"Andre?" Sterling asked, his voice clipping through the wind. "CEO of SSS Technologies?"
Andre stopped. He looked at the federal badge pinned to Sterling's lapel, then at the representative from the High Trust Creditors Group standing behind him—a lawyer named Richard Cole, whom Andre had met during the loan negotiations.
"Not anymore," Andre said. His voice was remarkably calm, almost conversational.
Sterling frowned, his folder hovering. "What do you mean, not anymore?"
Andre pulled a crisp, folded piece of paper from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to the investigator. It was the official dismissal notice Bob had just posted on the corporate registry.
"As of ten minutes ago, I was relieved of all executive positions and dismissed from the company," Andre said, pointing back toward the glass tower. "The sole shareholder and owner of SSS Technologies is now Ms. Laura. Her legal representative and corporate guarantor, Bob, is currently in the penthouse office. They have just filed the transition of ownership and assumed all corporate assets and personal liabilities."
Sterling's eyes flicked over the paper. He turned to Cole, the creditors' representative. Cole pulled out a tablet, his fingers flying across the screen as he accessed the state's real-time corporate registry database.
His eyes widened slightly. "It's confirmed," Cole whispered, looking at Sterling. "The filing went through seven minutes ago. It's a complete transfer of shares and liabilities under the accelerated emergency clause. Andre is legally out. Laura is the registered owner, and Bob has signed as the secondary guarantor for all company debts."
Sterling looked back at Andre, his expression a mix of surprise and professional curiosity. "He signed it over? Just like that?"
"They insisted," Andre said, a faint, barely perceptible smile touching the corner of his mouth. "They brought their own legal documents. They said they wanted to leave me with nothing."