Chapter 7 - Madam Chairwoman
After Malcolm addressed her as Madam Chairwoman, the ballroom remained silent.
Adrian stared at Clara.
“You told them?”
Clara almost smiled at the absurdity of the question.
“I did not have to tell the board who chairs it.”
A young executive near the stage whispered something to his colleague. Others began checking their phones, searching Clara’s name and discovering photographs taken years earlier.
Vanessa stepped backward.
“You said she had no operational authority,” she whispered to Adrian.
“She doesn’t.”
“I have enough,” Clara said.
Malcolm handed her the leather folder.
“By unanimous emergency vote, the board has suspended Adrian Cole and Vanessa Clarke pending a full investigation.”
The words echoed through the ballroom.
Adrian shook his head.
“No. You cannot announce that here.”
“You announced a promotion that never existed,” Malcolm replied.
“I earned that position.”
Clara opened the folder.
“You earned it with false reports, a copied signature, and deferred losses.”
Adrian looked around desperately.
“This is a private company matter.”
“You made it public when you invited investors, employees, reporters, and clients to celebrate a fraudulent appointment.”
Vanessa found her voice.
“I relied on information Adrian provided.”
Clara turned toward her.
“The audit records show that you altered three supporting files yourself.”
Vanessa’s face lost its color.
“That is not what happened.”
“You will have an opportunity to explain during the investigation.”
Adrian stepped close to Clara.
“You planned this humiliation.”
“No. You planned the party.”
His jaw tightened.
“You could have spoken to me at home.”
“I tried speaking to you at home. You burned the conversation.”
A few guests looked toward the floor, hiding their reactions.
Adrian lowered his voice.
“Whatever happened between us has nothing to do with the company.”
“You forged my authorization.”
“You were never involved.”
“I was involved enough for you to steal my signature.”
His expression changed.
For the first time, Clara saw fear overcome anger.
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“You want revenge.”
“If I wanted revenge, I would have exposed your personal messages.”
Vanessa looked sharply at Adrian.
Clara noticed.
So there were secrets Vanessa herself did not know.
Malcolm motioned toward the security officers standing near the ballroom entrance.
“Mr. Cole and Ms. Clarke, your company access has been suspended. You must surrender your identification cards and electronic devices.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“You are throwing me out of a party held in my honor?”
Clara looked at the plaque on the stage.
“This party was never in your honor. It was in honor of the man you pretended to be.”
Adrian’s anger broke through.
“You would be nothing without your family’s money.”
Clara did not flinch.
“And who would you be without my silence?”
The question struck harder than any shouted accusation.
Adrian looked around the room.
No one defended him.
Not the investors he had impressed.
Not the executives who had congratulated him.
Not even Vanessa, who had already begun calculating how to protect herself.
Security approached.
Adrian removed his identification card and dropped it on the floor.
“This is not over.”
Clara bent, picked up the card, and placed it in Malcolm’s hand.
May you like
“For our marriage,” she said, “it is.”
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