Chapter 5 - The Fall of the Empire
Julian leaned forward, his hands slamming onto the mahogany surface. "Forensic audit?! Evelyn, this is insane! I grew this company's valuation by forty percent over three years!"
"You grew the valuation on the back of my father's patents, Mr. Vale," I replied smoothly, pulling a stack of financial printouts from my folder. "And while doing so, you authorized over seven hundred thousand dollars in unapproved corporate expenses routed through shell consultancy firms."
I slid the documents down the center of the table.
The board members reached for them immediately.
"These include," I continued coldly, "a private jet charter to Napa Valley last weekend, three luxury villas booked at the Meadowood Resort under 'investor relations,' and a two-hundred-thousand-dollar wire transfer to an off-book marketing agency owned by Miss Chloe Marr's brother."
Gasps rippled around the table.
Chloe Marr, who had been sitting quietly in the back row behind Julian, turned deathly pale, her hands dropping into her lap.
Julian stared at the audit sheets, his mouth opening and closing in disbelief. "Evelyn... those were business development costs! Chloe was working on a national branding initiative!"
"Miss Marr was sleeping with you while my son died in a hospital bed!" my mother suddenly hissed, her voice cutting through the room like a razor blade. "Do not dare lie to this board, you pathetic coward!"
Julian flinched, shrinking back into his chair.
"The board has reviewed the preliminary findings," Marcus Vance declared from my left side. "Under section four of the executive charter, moral turpitude and unauthorized conversion of corporate funds constitute immediate grounds for termination without severance or stock option vesting."
Marcus looked up at the board members. "All those in favor of the motion to immediately remove Julian Vale as CEO and strip him of his executive board seat, raise your hand."
Every single hand at the table went up instantly.
Even the three directors Julian considered his closest personal friends raised their hands without hesitation.
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I watched Julian's face as the reality settled into his bones. His authority, his status, his multi-million-dollar stock package, and his reputation—built entirely on the foundation my family had provided—vanished in less than ten minutes.
"The motion passes unanimously," I said, closing my folder with a firm click. "Mr. Vale, security will escort you from the building. You have one hour to clear your personal items from the office."
