Chapter 6 - THE BOARDROOM AMBUSH
The next morning, I walked into my company's headquarters wearing a black suit and no wedding ring.
The board meeting had been called without my authorization.
That alone was enough to make my blood run cold.
Evelyn walked beside me.
When the doors opened, Grant was already sitting at the table.
So was Marianne.
Three directors looked uncomfortable.
One looked smug.
Marianne smiled.
“You're late.”
“No.”
I placed my bag on the table.
“I'm exactly on time.”
She slid a document toward me.
“Given your recent behavior, the board believes you should temporarily step away from executive authority.”
I laughed.
“You mean the authority you tried to steal.”
Her smile disappeared.
Evelyn placed copies of the forged documents in front of every director.
“Before anyone votes,” she said, “you should know that several financial instruments were created using Ms. Callahan's identity without authorization.”
The room erupted.
Grant stood.
“This is a private family matter.”
“No,” I said.
“It became a corporate matter when you used my company as collateral.”
He stared at me.
I opened my laptop.
“Now let's discuss the audit.”
Screens appeared around the room.
Every transfer.
Every shell company.
Every suspicious payment.
Then one transaction appeared.
A $500,000 payment.
Recipient:
HARTWELL MEDICAL CENTER.
I frowned.
“What's this?”
Nobody answered.
I turned toward Grant.
His face had gone white.
“Grant?”
He whispered,
“That wasn't supposed to be there.”
“What wasn't?”
Evelyn zoomed in.
The payment was made eight years earlier.
One week before our wedding.
Then another document appeared.
A medical record.
A woman's name.
Vivian Hart.
I looked at Evelyn.
“What does this have to do with her?”
Evelyn's expression changed.
“We need to find her.”
My phone rang.
Vivian.
I answered.
Her voice was shaking.
“Listen carefully.”
“What happened?”
“Marianne knows about the videos.”
My heart dropped.
“How?”
“She has someone inside the company.”
“Who?”
Vivian inhaled.
Then whispered a name.
I looked across the boardroom.
The director sitting nearest the door suddenly stood.
And ran.
Security moved instantly.
He didn't get far.
But before they caught him, he threw something into the trash.
A small black drive.
I picked it up.
May you like
On the label were four handwritten words:
YOUR MOTHER IS ALIVE.
