Chapter 16 - The Board
Uncle Thomas was not part of Victor’s plan.
He had pretended to be.
For six weeks, he had been feeding Dad information through a private attorney after noticing unusual questions from our CFO, Nathan Cole.
“He asked what would happen if Daniel controlled your voting block early,” Thomas said over speakerphone. “Then he asked whether a spouse could vote Daniel’s shares under power of attorney.”
Dad looked at me.
Everything connected.
The forged medical document.
The fake power of attorney.
The revised prenup.
The trust transfer.
My marriage wasn’t just personal leverage.
It was a corporate entry point.
“Where’s Nathan?” Dad asked.
“At the office,” Thomas said. “He called an emergency board meeting for this afternoon.”
Dad checked his watch.
The meeting started in forty minutes.
On my wedding day.
Of course it did.
Victor had expected me to be married, distracted, and legally entangled by then.
Dad turned to the police. “Can we leave?”
One officer nodded. “You’re witnesses, not suspects. Stay reachable.”
I looked at Mom.
She stood before I could speak.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“You fell ten minutes ago.”
“And I’m still your mother.”
Dad almost smiled.
Lauren stepped toward me as we prepared to leave.
Her wrists were not cuffed, but an officer stood beside her.
“Daniel.”
I stopped.
“I never wanted Victor to take the company,” she said. “I thought I could control it after the wedding.”
I looked at her.
“That may be the worst thing you’ve said today.”
She started crying again.
I left anyway.
At Hale Development, the boardroom was already full.
Nathan Cole sat at the far end of the table.
He smiled when we walked in.
“Robert. Daniel. I thought you had a wedding.”
Dad placed Victor’s folder on the table.
“We did.”
May you like
Nathan’s smile disappeared.
Then Uncle Thomas locked the boardroom door.
