Title: The Share Certificate prompted by Michael Poole

Genre: Legal Thriller / Psychological Drama
Setting: A quiet island jurisdiction with old-money law firms and opaque corporate trusts

Plot Summary

Protagonist:
Michael Renn, a mild-mannered adjudicator who’s always played by the rules, has spent thirty years quietly battling depression and distrust of the legal establishment after a devastating betrayal by a law firm called Viberts & Co.

When his mother dies, she leaves him controlling shares of a property company that owns the building he lives in — his home, office, and last sanctuary. But to take possession of those shares, he must retrieve a single share certificate locked in the offices of Viberts — the same firm that’s manipulated him before, twice coercing him into signing away rights under pressure.

Inciting Incident

Michael refuses to go into Viberts’ building. The memories are too corrosive. He hires a courier, but the firm refuses to release the certificate to anyone except him. Desperate, he consults an online legal expert named Alex, Esq., who advises him to give someone a limited power of attorney. But Michael’s trust issues run deep — signing anything feels like walking into a trap.

Then Michael discovers a clause in the company’s articles of association: the company secretary has the power to reissue lost or unclaimed share certificates. Suddenly, there’s another way — a legal loophole that might outwit Viberts entirely.

Rising Action

Michael contacts Sarah Penrose, the pragmatic but world-weary company secretary. At first, she dismisses him. But when she looks deeper, she uncovers irregularities: the firm has deliberately withheld documents for years, effectively controlling several estates through procedural chokeholds.

Meanwhile, Viberts’ managing partner, Jonathan Vibert, learns of Michael’s inquiry and quietly panics. Inside those same company shares are traces of a bigger fraud — offshore transfers, false billings, and decades of cover-ups. If Michael gets that certificate, the paper trail could unravel everything.

Climax

Michael gives Sarah evidence that Viberts had forced signatures before — and she decides to act. But before she can issue the replacement certificate, Viberts files an injunction claiming the original is “under review.” Michael is forced into court, representing himself, facing the firm that’s haunted him since 1994.

In a tense hearing, Michael cross-examines Viberts’ junior partner — and exposes how they fabricated legal necessity for every past “forced signing.” The judge orders the certificate released, rebuking Viberts for “systemic procedural abuse.”

Resolution

Michael receives the share certificate by courier — no signatures, no confrontation. He walks to the sea, holding the paper that proves his independence at last. But in the final twist, a junior clerk from Viberts delivers a letter:

“We regret to inform you that your late mother’s estate is now under review for potential tax irregularities.”

The battle isn’t over — but for the first time in thirty years, Michael is ready to fight.

Themes

Power imbalance between citizens and law firms

Psychological trauma from institutional manipulation

The fine line between legal correctness and moral justice

Self-advocacy and reclaiming agency

Possible Tagline:

They stole his trust. Now he’s taking back his life — one legal loophole at a time.