Dealing with the Board

He found her three days later hiding under her desk. The woman was quietly sobbing and rocking back and forth.

"What's the matter, Wanda?" he asked in Italian, reaching a hand out to help her out of there.

"This doesn't mean anything," she sniffled, refusing his help and staying right where she was. "The board can say whatever they want, but I've got the majority shares in the company! You will not be able to force me out! I don't care if you were Barbarossa's primary choice to run his company, you're not suited to the task. You're an unemployed bum who's living off the money I gave you. You'd be nothing but a puppet for them to do what they wanted to with the company."

The man sat down next to her. "What are you talking about? I don't want-"

"Why do you think they're pushing for you to run me out?" she cried. "The Board wants the old ways back. They had damn near unlimited power and they could get away with everything! My company's the same way. Why the hell do you think I sent my own brother to jail? No deals, no compromise. They wanted to get us out of the way so they could run the companies into the ground. Well, I won't allow it. I will fight you. I will fight all of you to keep control. Now, get out of here," she shouted. "I won't have their puppet spy in my building!"

"Wanda, I'm not a puppet or a spy. I'm your suitor. I just-"

"Get out," she yelled again. "I don't want you here, Anasazi."

On his way out, he ran into George and Viktor, the chief members of the Board unofficially.

"What have you done?" Tyr asked.

"It's just business," George said.

"It's nothing personal," Viktor confirmed. "I'd like to thank you for your act. Her confusion these last few weeks has allowed us to put you in place to seize power from poor little Wanda. All you have to do is-"

"I want nothing to do with your games," he said in a dark tone.

"You're already in place," Viktor blinked. "Don't worry, the girl won't be hurt. She'll still have her own company to run. We just want her out of our business." Tyr looked between the two demons dressed as men and felt a frisson of fear. Had he really made it possible for these two to take over? He took a cab home, ignoring the cabbie's glare as he drove.

"Gregory! Greg!"

"What's the matter, Tyr?" his mother, Victoria, asked.

"I need to speak to your husband now," Tyr said.

"Why would you want to speak to him?" Victoria asked "Are you upset about-"

"I'm not upset about your marriage, Mom. Wanda is-"

"You shouldn't lift a finger to help that cold-hearted girl," The woman advised in a sage voice. "You know, she had her own brother locked away-"

"For embezzlement," he argued.

"It doesn't matter. Their family and she didn't lift a finger to help him. She deserves whatever she gets for treating her family so poorly. You know, I think she should have stayed a nurse, left business to the businessmen."

"Where is Gregory?"

"I'm right here," the man answered, having just walked in the door. "What do you need?"

"I need a way to save Wanda," Tyr said.

"What she needs you won't give," he said, moving into his study. Tyr followed, determined to find a way.

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's too late for the poor girl to be saved. Your presence is a threat to her."

"I don't understand how," The younger man said in confusion. "I haven't made any claims on the business. I haven't offered to work there-"

"Your silence says it all," he said in frustration. "You're alive and well and legally the heir to Anasazi Inc. She had a claim by marriage, which dissolved the moment you came back to life."

"How-"

"Because the marriage was only until 'death do you part'. You're not technically married anymore. Wanda is a widow and you're a free man. As a free man, you have the right to make a bid for the company; the Board would back you. And you could run it any way you saw fit. You would have to fight her for the shares though. She inherited majority shares through her marriage to you, a marriage that is no longer valid. She's held them technically in trust for you, so the courts could do a lot with that. Interpretation is open in either case; she'll tie you up in court for years with this, but ultimately she would lose."

"What if I don't want the shares? What if I don't want the company?"

"Then you would have to make a gesture. A public and permanent gesture of taking yourself out of the equation. You would have to sign legal documents giving up your rights to the company in perpetuity and you would have to legally sign your shares over to her. That would give her back the leverage she needs to keep the vultures at bay." Tyr thought of the tear-streaked face of his beloved and knew that he would do anything to help her.

"Tell me what to do," he said at last. Gregory smiled. Ever since he'd started tutoring her in business, he'd known she was a good person caught up in the games of those around her and doing her best to deal with honor in a world of thieves and vipers. He didn't want to see her fail, didn't want to see the bad guys win. Now that he'd somehow secured the allegiance of the one person who could help her, he intended to go with it.

"It's weird to have you say that. You always hated Wanda. I would think you'd be orchestrating her downfall, not working to prevent it."

"I had an epiphany during my time away. Wanda has always been a light in the darkness to me. I hated her because she was so good that it showed me my bad. There's no reason to hate her anymore; I've changed my ways. I'm sober and drug-free. I only regret that I didn't see it before she was forced to give up her dream of nursing for the world of business. She's exactly where she needs to be now, though. I'll do anything to keep her there. Both companies need her."

"And what about you?"

"I need her too. I don't love her because I need her, I need her because I love her."

"That's all very flowery and nice, but how will it hold up when you get around your old friends and your old habits get the best of you?"

"Simple. I've given up my old habits, my old friends. You have to have noticed I don't hang around those people or do those things anymore."

"Indeed. Well, here's what you need to do to save little Wanda. I've already had the paperwork drawn up. I was hoping to convince you before it was too late…"

… …

"We now go live to the press conference being held by Tyr Anasazi downtown in front of Anasazi Inc."

"...I have never met a woman with more clear-sightedness and integrity than Luwanda Jenkins. Her vision for my family's company is as good as my father would have imagined. Therefore, I have no intention of pursuing legal action, or in any way impeding her ability to run Anasazi Inc successfully. In fact, I plan to apply for a position in PR later today. Questions?"

"Harold Mitchim, Odyssey Globe. Those are very flowery words coming from you. I'm wondering as to what actions you have put to them."

"I woke a judge up very early in the morning and signed over my rights to Ms. Jenkins's shares in the company. I also-" *thud* Wanda fainted dead away at this announcement.