Chapter 8 - Evicted From His Own Empire
Hannah pulled a thick stack of certified documents from her clutch, bound in red legal tape, and laid them flat on the polished wooden podium right next to Grant’s trembling fingers.
""At 4:47 this afternoon,"" Hannah addressed the ballroom, her voice echoing with crystal clarity, ""the State Court of Texas and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ratified the immediate, irrevocable dissolution of Mercer Energy’s master operating lease.""
Olivia let out a sharp, hysterical laugh. ""You're insane! Mercer Energy owns sixty thousand acres of Delaware shale! It's listed on our balance sheet!""
""Mercer Energy never owned an inch of that shale, Olivia,"" Hannah said, turning her cool gaze toward the woman wearing her husband's emeralds. ""Mercer Energy held an operating license granted by the Reed Land and Mineral Trust—an entity established solely by Hannah Reed before my marriage was ever solemnized.""
The room gasped. Several prominent banking executives at Table One immediately pulled out their phones, frantically typing instructions to their asset managers.
""Under Section 14 of that license,"" Hannah continued, ""any attempt to misrepresent asset ownership, commit fiduciary fraud against co-investors, or unilaterally strip the primary trustee of executive control results in immediate termination of all drilling, extraction, and pipeline transport rights.""
Hannah looked back at Grant, whose face had drained of every drop of color. He looked like a corpse in a tuxedo.
""As of 5:00 p.m.,"" Hannah said, ""all sixty thousand acres, all forty-two active wells, and all related pipeline infrastructure reverted one hundred percent to my private holding company, Sovereign Reed Energy.""
""No..."" Grant whispered, backing away from the podium. ""No, no, no! That's impossible! My lawyers checked the paperwork! We own the operating permits!""
""Your lawyers checked the paperwork you gave them, Grant,"" Carlyle Vance interjected, stepping up beside Hannah. ""Just like you checked the paperwork I signed at the airport. At 5:30 p.m., Sovereign Reed Energy and the Vance Petrochemical Group executed a sixty-forty joint venture agreement. Hannah Reed is the sixty-percent controlling managing partner. I am the minority investor.""
Carlyle smiled, a wolf showing its teeth. ""The sixteen-billion-dollar deal is signed, sealed, and funded. But Grant Mercer doesn't have a single penny in it. In fact, Mercer Energy currently owns three leased office floors in Atlanta, a fleet of depreciating German sedans, and about eighty million dollars in unsecured short-term debt.""
""Eighty million?"" Olivia shrieked, her voice cracking into a shrill screech. She spun toward Grant, her manicured fingers digging into his lapel. ""You told me Mercer Energy was debt-free! You told me we were taking twenty percent of Vance's equity!""
""I... I leveraged the short-term bonds against the Texas reserves,"" Grant choked out, his chest heaving as if he couldn't pull air into his lungs. ""The banks approved it based on the lease assets!""
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""Which means you committed federal wire fraud and securities misrepresentation,"" Marcus Sterling’s voice cut through the chaos like an executioner’s axe. The lead federal marshal stepped forward, producing a set of steel handcuffs.
""Grant Mercer,"" the marshal stated loudly. ""Pursuant to a sealed indictment issued by the Southern District of New York regarding fraudulent collateralization of non-owned energy assets, you are under arrest.""
