Chapter 35 - THE GHOST EMPLOYEESThe rejected voters were called ghost employees.
According to Bellavere records, they had died, resigned, or never existed.
In reality, many had continued working under modified employee numbers after the fire.
Richard had erased their original identities to hide compensation payments.
Thomas Reed had used the corrupted records to invalidate their votes.
Adrian petitioned for an emergency extension.
The opposition argued that the vote was complete.
The court granted forty-eight hours to verify the rejected employees.
Isabella and Clara personally contacted every person on the list.
Some were retired.
Some had moved abroad.
Several had died in the years after the fire, but their families possessed employment records proving their service.
One name surprised Isabella.
Miriam Bennett.
Clara’s guardian had been listed as a Bellavere nurse.
Her vote had been submitted three days after her reported death.
“That is impossible,” Clara said.
The vote had come from a secured retirement residence in Switzerland.
Evelyn insisted Miriam had died.
But no official death certificate existed.
They traveled to the residence by video connection.
An elderly woman appeared on the screen.
Clara covered her mouth.
“Miriam.”
The woman smiled.
“My little Lucia.”
Evelyn stepped backward.
“You told me you were dying.”
“I was.”
“You disappeared.”
“I needed Richard to believe the last witness was gone.”
Clara’s voice shook.
“Why did you not contact me?”
“Because H-9 was still active.”
“It is sealed now.”
“Not entirely.”
Miriam explained that H-9 possessed a remote duplicate archive.
The first Bellavere terminal at the lighthouse had begun transferring it before Thomas was arrested.
The copy had been interrupted but not destroyed.
“Who controls it?” Isabella asked.
“The employee listed as the original steward.”
“Who?”
Miriam looked at Clara.
“Your mother.”
“Elena is dead.”
“H-9 never recorded her death.”
The archive still recognized Elena Moretti as alive.
Someone had been using her identity.
The employee vote under Miriam’s name was a test. She wanted to see whether the ghost records could still be activated.
Her vote was yes.
So were most of the rejected ballots.
After verification, the final result changed.
Sixty-seven percent approved the stewardship trust.
The Bellavere no longer belonged to Isabella, Clara, Aurelia, Lorenzo, Marcus, or any individual heir.
Employees applauded.
Clara cried.
Isabella felt relief.
Then every employee received the same email.
The sender was Elena Moretti.
The message read:
YOU HAVE VOTED TO OWN THE HOTEL.
NOW YOU WILL LEARN WHAT IT OWES.
Attached was a debt statement totaling more than two billion dollars.
May you like
The new trust had inherited not only the Bellavere.
It had inherited every secret obligation inside H-9.
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