Chapter 17 - The Boardroom at Dawn

At dawn, the board met to contain the scandal. Several directors wanted Julian to blame Graham and protect the foundation's reputation.

Julian read it once and pushed it away.

"I'm not signing this."

The board chair, Martin Sloane, frowned. "If the foundation collapses, thousands of families lose their support. You have a duty to protect the institution."

"The institution was used to steal from the families it promised to help. Protecting its reputation won't protect them."

Elara, Renee, and Celeste sat at the back, ready to testify.

Martin slid another document across the table. It would suspend Julian as chief executive and give the board temporary control of the trust. If Julian signed, they promised to keep Maisie's name out of the press.

"You can't bargain with my daughter," Julian said.

"We're trying to contain the damage."

"Then start by telling the truth."

Julian resigned as CEO during the investigation and placed his voting shares in an independent trust.

Martin called it reckless. One director called it betrayal. Another quietly asked for a copy of the ledger.

The district attorney arrived with a subpoena. Renee and Celeste turned over the evidence, and the board froze the disputed accounts.

One by one, the directors stopped arguing.

The new name on the list was Martin Sloane. His initials appeared beside three transfers that had never been disclosed to the board. He stood so abruptly his chair tipped backward.

"This is a setup," he shouted. "Julian, you know I have always supported your father."

Julian stared at him. "Then you should have helped him when he asked you to stop the theft."

Investigators escorted Martin out. The board froze the accounts and appointed an outside administrator.

In the hallway, Elara found Julian standing alone by a window.

"You gave up your company," she said.

"I gave up the right to control it while the people who built it are under investigation. That's not the same thing."

"And when it's over?"

He looked at her. "I'll decide what kind of work I can live with. Not what kind of power I can keep."

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Before she could answer, Renee came out of the meeting room holding a new warrant.

"Martin isn't the last one," she said. "The money trail leads to a judge who signed the original search warrant against you, Elara."