Chapter 11 - THE BOARDROOM WHERE NATHANIEL LOST EVERYTHING
The emergency board meeting took place six weeks after the gala.
I arrived with Samuel, Gabriel, and my attorney.
Nathaniel sat at the head of the table.
Margaret sat beside him.
Several directors looked exhausted.
Samuel opened the meeting.
He explained the trust's ownership position.
Then presented the findings of the independent review.
The evidence showed serious governance failures.
Unauthorized transfers.
Conflicts of interest.
And attempts to interfere with financial records.
Nathaniel interrupted.
“This is a witch hunt.”
Samuel looked at him.
“The board will consider the evidence.”
Nathaniel turned toward me.
“Evelyn, say something.”
I stared.
For four years, he'd treated my opinions as inconvenient.
Now he wanted me to defend him.
I looked at the directors.
“I support a complete independent investigation.”
Nathaniel's face hardened.
“You're destroying everything we built.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
My voice was steady.
“I'm protecting what my grandfather entrusted to me.”
The board voted to remove Nathaniel from his executive position pending the outcome of the investigation.
He stared at the result.
May you like
Then looked at me.
For the first time, he had no authority to order me out of the room.
