Chapter 7 - A BOARDROOM FULL OF STRANGERS|
The board meeting was scheduled for Thursday morning.
Ethan arrived ten minutes late.
Margaret came with him.
She was not a director, shareholder, or employee of Ellery Holdings, but she walked into the boardroom as if the company had been built around her.
"Good morning," she announced.
No one answered immediately.
I sat at the far end of the table, with Daniel beside me and the company's chief financial officer, Martin Shaw, across from us.
Ethan placed a folder in front of his chair.
"We need to discuss the transition."
"Which transition?" I asked.
He looked annoyed.
"The leadership transition."
"There has been no approved leadership transition."
Margaret smiled.
"Naomi, let's not make this difficult."
I looked at her.
"You aren't a member of this board."
Her smile disappeared.
"I am Ethan's mother."
"And I'm the controlling trustee."
A silence settled over the room.
Ethan opened his folder.
"I've prepared a proposal for the board to recognize my authority over the estate's operating assets."
Martin frowned.
"On what basis?"
"An agreement between Naomi and me."
He slid the forged declaration across the table.
Daniel did not touch it.
"We've reviewed this document," he said. "It is not authentic."
Ethan's face hardened.
"You have no proof of that."
"Actually, we do."
Daniel placed the forensic examiner's report beside it.
Then he added a copy of the original trust agreement.
Martin read the first page.
His expression changed.
"Naomi is the sole controlling trustee?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
"And the shares?"
"Remain under the trust's control."
Ethan leaned forward.
"This is a family matter."
Martin looked at him.
"No. This is a corporate governance matter."
Margaret rose.
"You people are making a terrible mistake. Ethan has carried this company for years."
"Then his performance should be reflected in the records," I said.
Martin opened another folder.
"We've been reviewing the payments to Northstar Property Consulting. Several invoices appear unsupported."
Margaret's face went pale.
"Those were legitimate expenses."
"Then you won't mind explaining them."
She looked at Ethan.
He looked away.
I watched them both.
For years, Margaret had spoken about loyalty as though it were a family inheritance. But the moment the questions became specific, she wanted someone else to answer them.
The board voted to suspend Ethan's authority over property transactions pending an independent audit.
He stood so abruptly his chair struck the wall.
"You can't do this."
"Actually," Martin said, "we just did."
Ethan turned to me.
"You planned this."
"No. You sent me the documents."
His eyes narrowed.
"You think you're clever?"
"I think I'm careful."
Margaret gathered her purse.
"This family will never forgive you."
I looked at her.
"That is a risk I can live with."
After the meeting, Daniel walked with me toward the elevator.
"That went better than expected."
"It went exactly as it should have."
He glanced at his phone.
"There's a complication."
"What now?"
"The property manager found a contractor at the east wing this morning. Margaret had instructed him to begin removing several pieces of furniture."
"Which pieces?"
"Your mother's writing desk, the grandfather clock, and two paintings."
I stopped.
"Where are they?"
"Still in the house. The staff refused to release them without authorization."
I let out a slow breath.
"Good."
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
You have no idea what your mother did. Stop digging before you destroy the wrong person.
I read it twice.
Daniel leaned closer.
"Who sent that?"
"I don't know."
A second message appeared.
This time, there was a photograph.
May you like
It showed my mother standing outside the mansion on the night before she died.
And behind her, barely visible in the darkness, was Margaret.
