Chapter 9 - The Boardroom
At 9:58 a.m., Sarah entered Mercer Development’s boardroom.
Julian was already seated at the head of the table.
Victoria sat behind him with a bandage around her wrist.
Sarah almost laughed.
Julian had brought three attorneys.
Sarah brought Martin.
Claire and Noah waited outside.
Raymond opened the meeting.
Julian immediately stood.
“This is painful for me.”
Sarah looked at him.
Julian continued.
“My mother-in-law has suffered emotionally since Thomas died.”
“She has become suspicious.”
“Erratic.”
“Yesterday, she attacked my assistant.”
Victoria lowered her eyes.
Sarah noticed she was enjoying herself.
Julian displayed photographs of Sarah’s uneven hair.
“Sarah cut her own hair and later claimed Victoria did it.”
A board member frowned.
Sarah said nothing.
Julian continued.
“She has also accused me of financial crimes without evidence.”
Sarah finally spoke.
“Are you finished?”
Julian smiled.
“For now.”
Sarah connected her laptop to the projector.
First came the office recording.
Julian’s face changed.
Then came Martin’s security footage showing Victoria entering his office in disguise.
Victoria stopped smiling.
Then came the transfer records.
Nobody interrupted.
Sarah displayed fourteen shell companies.
Eight shared registered agents.
Millions in payments.
Raymond looked ill.
Julian stood.
“These records are fabricated.”
Sarah clicked again.
Thomas appeared on-screen.
Every person in the boardroom knew his face.
“If Sarah is watching this, then Julian crossed the line I hoped he never would.”
The room became completely silent.
Julian’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Thomas continued until the missing section.
Sarah paused the video.
“The second portion was deleted yesterday.”
She displayed Victoria entering Martin’s office.
“Approximately twenty minutes before the deletion timestamp.”
Victoria whispered something to Julian.
Sarah caught only three words.
She found it.
Julian looked at her sharply.
Sarah’s stomach tightened.
Found what?
Raymond called for an immediate vote.
Julian’s executive authority was suspended pending investigation.
Nine directors voted yes.
Two abstained.
Julian was ordered to surrender his access card.
Security entered.
As Julian passed Sarah, he leaned close.
“You think Thomas protected you?”
Sarah didn’t respond.
Julian smiled.
“He lied to you until the day he died.”
Sarah’s expression changed.
Julian continued walking.
Then Victoria passed her.
She whispered.
“Check Nathan’s widow.”
Sarah turned.
Victoria smiled.
“She knows what Thomas did.”
Security took them away.
Sarah remained standing in the boardroom.
May you like
For the first time since opening Thomas’s letter, doubt entered her mind.
What had her husband been hiding too?
