Chapter 10 - The Vote
The blackout lasted eleven seconds.
When the screens returned, a new document appeared.
A governance notice.
The board members stared.
One director whispered,
“Who authorized this?”
Mark answered,
“The court.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“This is impossible.”
The chairman looked toward Mark.
“Can you verify it?”
“Yes.”
Daniel turned toward Emily.
“You did this.”
Emily remained calm.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Eleanor answered.
“I did.”
Daniel laughed.
“You've been hiding for decades.”
“Yes.”
“Why come back now?”
“Because you forced me to.”
Daniel pointed at Emily.
“She has been manipulating everything.”
Emily shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You think you're innocent?”
Emily looked directly at him.
“I know what I did.”
“And what is that?”
“I trusted you.”
The room went quiet.
Daniel's expression changed.
Emily continued.
“I trusted you with my family.”
“I trusted you with my father's company.”
“I trusted you with my name.”
“And you treated every one of those things as something you could own.”
Daniel looked away.
The chairman raised his voice.
“Enough.”
He looked at the board.
“We need to determine control.”
Mark distributed documents.
The board members read.
One after another, their expressions changed.
Daniel watched.
“What are you seeing?”
Nobody answered.
The chairman finally spoke.
“Daniel, these documents suggest you don't have the voting authority you claimed.”
Daniel stared.
“That isn't possible.”
“It is.”
Daniel turned toward his general counsel.
“Tell them.”
The attorney remained silent.
“Tell them!”
The attorney lowered his head.
“I wasn't aware of the full structure.”
Daniel looked betrayed.
“You're my attorney.”
“I was your attorney.”
The distinction landed hard.
Vanessa watched from the back of the room.
Daniel turned toward her.
“You knew?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
For the first time, Daniel realized he was alone.
The chairman lifted the final document.
“There is one remaining question.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Who holds the controlling interest?”
Mark glanced toward Emily.
Eleanor shook her head.
Not yet.
Daniel noticed.
“You know.”
Emily remained silent.
Daniel's voice dropped.
“You know who owns it.”
Emily looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Emily stood.
“You'll find out when the court allows it.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You're enjoying this.”
Emily's eyes hardened.
“No.”
She paused.
“I'm surviving it.”
The board meeting was suspended.
As everyone left, Daniel remained alone.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
A stranger spoke.
“You've lost the board.”
Daniel clenched his jaw.
“Who are you?”
The voice replied,
“Someone who knows what Emily doesn't.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
“The account isn't hers.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Then whose is it?”
May you like
The caller laughed.
“That's the question.”
