Chapter 6 - Unmasking the MistressThe board meeting was held in the glass-walled conference room on the fortieth floor of the Carter Tower.
The room was filled with tense, solemn-faced men and women in dark suits. At the head of the table sat Julian Vance, holding Adrian’s proxy folder with a confident, supercilious smile. Beside him sat Celeste, wearing a black veil as if she were mourning the death of the company she had tried to steal.
"Mrs. Vale," Vance said, his voice dripping with condescension as I took my seat at the opposite end of the table. "While we respect your family's history with this firm, we must face the reality of your current state. The media circus you have created is destroying our valuation. My client is willing to step down temporarily, but only if you transfer your voting shares to a neutral corporate trustee—whom we have already selected."
"A neutral trustee?" I asked, leaning back. "Or a trustee who is currently on your payroll, Mr. Vance?"
Vance’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "That is an offensive insinuation."
"I don't make insinuations, Mr. Vance. I make audits," I said, sliding a thick blue folder toward the center of the table. "This is the complete transactional history of Vanessa’s 'communications department' budget over the last two years. Every single dollar was approved by Adrian. But the money didn't go to advertising or public relations."
I tapped a key on my laptop, and a series of bank statements appeared on the massive digital screen at the front of the room.
"Eighty percent of those funds were transferred directly into a private account registered under the name 'JV Consulting LLC,'" I continued, looking directly at Vance. "A company registered in Delaware. And the sole owner of JV Consulting... is you, Mr. Vance."
The room erupted into shocked whispers. Several board members leaned forward, staring at the screen in absolute disbelief.
"This is... this is a confidential legal retainer!" Vance stammered, his face turning a deep, guilty red.
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"A retainer paid with embezzled corporate capital is not a legal fee, Mr. Vance," Evelyn Shaw stood up, her voice booming through the room. "It is money laundering. And the Federal prosecutors have already signed the subpoena for your firm's financial records. You aren't defending Adrian anymore, Julian. You’re about to be his cellmate."
Vance slowly closed his folder, his hands trembling. He looked at Celeste, then at the board members, and without saying another word, he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving his briefcase behind.
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