Chapter 9 - THE BOARDROOM)
Sterling Advanced Industries occupied the top twelve floors of a glass tower overlooking Bellmere.
Michael had once brought Elena there for lunch.
She remembered elevators that required fingerprint access and assistants who whispered whenever Arthur crossed a hallway.
Now she entered beneath the eyes of state investigators positioned throughout the building.
Victor did not know they were there.
Or at least that was the hope.
Elena wore the same navy blouse from the bus.
She wanted Victor to see the widow who had arrived frightened and unprepared.
Leo was not with her.
Detective Price had placed him at a secure location.
Victor would discover that only when Elena chose.
The elevator doors opened.
Victor waited.
“Where is he?”
No hello.
No pretense.
Elena looked at him.
“Safe.”
His expression tightened.
“I told you to bring Leo.”
“You don’t give me instructions about my son.”
Victor smiled.
“You’ve become dramatic overnight.”
“You locked me in a room.”
“You entered a restricted archive and triggered an old ventilation system.”
Elena almost admired the speed of his lie.
“Arthur says otherwise.”
“Father is confused.”
“He’s also in a hospital with toxicology results.”
Victor’s smile flickered.
Then returned.
“Come inside.”
The boardroom contained fourteen people.
Three appeared nervous.
Two refused to meet Elena’s eyes.
At the far end sat representatives from Meridian Capital.
The documents waited.
Victor took his seat.
“Mrs. Sterling has agreed to execute the voting proxy.”
Elena remained standing.
“I said I would come.”
Victor looked at her.
“Sit.”
“No.”
Several board members glanced at each other.
Elena placed Michael’s original trust documents on the table.
“Before I sign anything, I want the proxy explained aloud.”
Victor’s attorney began.
“It grants temporary voting authority…”
“To whom?”
“Mr. Victor Sterling.”
“For how long?”
“Ten years.”
A board member looked surprised.
Victor interrupted.
“This was discussed.”
Elena continued.
“What happens to my authority as trustee?”
The attorney hesitated.
“It becomes limited.”
“What happens if I am declared medically incapable?”
Silence.
Victor said:
“This is unnecessary.”
Elena ignored him.
“What happens?”
The attorney swallowed.
“An alternate guardian may be appointed.”
“Who?”
Victor stood.
“Enough.”
Elena turned to the board.
“My brother-in-law asked me to sign a document that could remove control of my dead husband’s shares and assist him in taking guardianship of my nine-year-old son.”
Voices erupted.
Victor slammed his hand down.
“Sit down.”
Elena smiled.
“No.”
She remembered Michael’s final video.
Victor moved around the table.
“You have no idea what you’re interfering with.”
“Then explain it.”
“You’re risking thousands of jobs.”
“For Meridian?”
“For this company.”
“By selling it?”
“It is not a sale.”
Elena took out her phone.
“Interesting.”
Victor stopped.
She pressed play.
Michael’s voice filled the room.
“Meridian’s acquisition is designed to transfer ownership of fourteen dormant Sterling subsidiaries…”
Victor’s face changed.
Not shock.
Recognition.
The board listened.
Cresswell Holdings.
A Meridian representative stood.
“This meeting is adjourned.”
“No,” Victor said.
The man gathered his papers.
“We were not informed Cresswell was included in the transfer schedule.”
Victor stepped toward him.
“You knew exactly what was included.”
The man went still.
Every phone in the room seemed to wake at once.
Victor realized what he had said.
Elena saw it.
So did the board.
“Victor,” she said quietly, “what exactly is Cresswell?”
He turned toward her.
“You should have signed.”
Then he did something nobody expected.
He laughed.
Not nervously.
Not angrily.
Almost with relief.
“You all think I’m the villain.”
Arthur’s voice came from the doorway.
“You made that easy.”
Everyone turned.
Arthur entered in a wheelchair pushed by a hospital attendant.
Behind him stood Detective Price.
Victor stared.
“Father.”
Arthur looked stronger than he had the previous night.
“We need to talk.”
Victor’s shoulders dropped.
For the first time, he looked like a son rather than a businessman.
Then he saw Price.
Understanding returned.
“You brought police into my company.”
Arthur answered:
“You brought criminals into mine.”
Victor looked at Elena.
“You don’t understand what he did.”
Arthur’s face tightened.
Victor pointed toward him.
“You think he’s protecting you?”
Elena said:
“I think you drugged him.”
Victor laughed.
“I kept him alive.”
Arthur stood from the wheelchair.
The room fell silent.
Victor stared.
Arthur walked slowly toward the table.
“You poisoned me.”
“No. I slowed you down.”
“You stole from the company.”
“To keep Cresswell from coming back.”
Arthur stopped.
“What did you say?”
Victor’s expression shifted.
Suddenly he knew he had said too much.
Detective Price stepped forward.
“Victor Sterling, I need you to remain in this room.”
Victor looked around.
Every exit was covered.
Then a phone rang.
Not his.
Elena’s.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“You should have brought the boy.”
Her blood turned cold.
“What?”
The voice continued.
“Victor was never the one you needed to fear.”
The call ended.
At that exact moment, Detective Price’s radio exploded with static.
An officer shouted through it.
“Price, secure location compromised.”
Elena stopped breathing.
May you like
The officer continued.
“The child is missing.”
