Chapter 6 - The Fall of Dominic Blackwood
The emergency board meeting took place forty-eight hours later.
Dominic entered the conference room with three attorneys, two public relations advisers, and the confidence of a man who still believed the room belonged to him.
Victoria arrived five minutes later in black sunglasses.
Clara joined remotely from Evelyn’s office.
The independent directors sat around the long table with printed copies of the preliminary financial report. No one greeted Dominic warmly.
He began speaking before the meeting was called to order.
“My wife is using a private marital disagreement to attack this company.”
Clara’s image appeared on the large screen.
“This meeting is not about our marriage.”
Dominic looked toward the screen.
“You are humiliating yourself.”
“The restaurant video shows who created the humiliation.”
One of Dominic’s attorneys interrupted.
“We object to any reference to an unverified recording.”
Evelyn appeared beside Clara.
“The recording has been authenticated by multiple witnesses and supported by the restaurant’s security footage.”
Victoria removed her sunglasses.
“This is absurd. Dominic lost his temper for one second.”
An independent director named Samuel Price opened the forensic report.
“The board is more concerned about four million dollars in questionable transfers.”
Dominic’s face tightened.
“The transfers were legitimate consulting expenses.”
“To companies connected to your mother and cousin?”
“Family connections do not make transactions illegal.”
“No,” Clara said. “Hiding those connections does.”
Dominic turned toward the other directors.
“You would believe her over me?”
Samuel closed the report.
“We believe documents.”
For the next two hours, the board reviewed evidence.
There were altered invoices, missing disclosures, deleted messages recovered from backups, and executive payments that had never been approved.
Maya had preserved the written instruction ordering employees to delete records. Several staff members had submitted similar evidence after learning an independent investigation was underway.
Then Evelyn introduced the Hale Family Trust agreement.
Dominic’s attorney requested a private recess.
The request was denied.
Clara explained that the trust was immediately suspending licenses for the Blackwood crown logo, operating manuals, restaurant designs, and training system.
The suspension would remain in place until Dominic was removed from management and the company completed an independent audit.
Dominic stood so quickly that his chair rolled backward.
“You cannot do this.”
“The agreement says I can.”
“You are destroying the company.”
“No. I am preventing you from destroying it.”
Victoria pointed toward the screen.
“Your father gave us that investment because he believed in Dominic.”
“My father protected it because he did not trust him.”
Dominic stared at Clara.
For the first time in their marriage, he could not frighten her into silence.
Samuel called for a vote.
Dominic was suspended as chief executive pending the investigation.
Nathan was removed from operational control.
Victoria’s consulting company was barred from receiving further payments.
The resolution passed by a strong majority.
Dominic looked around the table as though betrayal had occurred.
But no one had betrayed him.
They had simply stopped protecting him from consequences.
After the meeting, he called Clara from an unknown number.
She answered only because Evelyn was beside her and the call was recorded legally.
“You think you won?” Dominic asked.
“This is not a game.”
“You will come crawling back when the company collapses.”
“The company will survive.”
“Without me?”
May you like
Clara looked through the glass wall at employees gathering in the office beyond.
“Yes,” she said. “Without you.”
