Chapter 48 - The Oslo Showdown
The convention center in Oslo was a masterpiece of modern Scandinavian design, featuring minimalist glass architecture flooded with natural daylight.
Claire took the main stage before an audience of international environmental ministers and Nordic investors, delivering a masterclass in sustainable corporate leadership.
Sitting in the front row, Erik Lindstrom—a towering, imposing man with ice-blond hair and a cold, calculating demeanor—scowled darkly. He had invested his entire firm’s liquidity into shorting Whitmore stock, anticipating her public humiliation.
As Claire stepped off the stage, Lindstrom intercepted her near the VIP exit, blocking her path with an arrogant smirk. "Nice speech, Ms. Whitmore. Too bad your municipal permits are being revoked as we speak. By tomorrow morning, your stock will crater, and my firm will own your Scandinavian assets for pennies."
Claire didn't blink. She looked him dead in the eye with absolute serenity. "You bet your entire firm on a rigged game, Mr. Lindstrom. Let’s see how your investors react when they find out you've been funneling bribe money through unregistered shell accounts."
Lindstrom’s smirk vanished instantly. "What are you talking about?"
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Natalie stepped out from behind a partition, holding a secure tablet displaying intercepted wire transfers and bank statements. "Your payoffs to the municipal inspectors have just been forwarded to the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic Crime. Federal agents are seizing your offices in Oslo right now."
Lindstrom turned pale, staggering backward as the reality of his total ruin set in.
