Chapter 5 - THE COUNCIL OF WOLVES
The first family council meeting took place two weeks after our wedding.
Twelve men sat around a long black table.
Some wore expensive suits.
Others wore expressions that suggested they had never smiled voluntarily.
Victor Vale sat at the far end.
Silver hair.
Cold eyes.
A smile that never reached his face.
When Adrian entered, the room fell silent.
I walked beside him.
Victor looked at me.
“Mrs. Vale.”
I smiled.
“Uncle Victor.”
His expression tightened.
Adrian positioned his wheelchair at the head of the table.
Victor leaned back.
“Adrian, this is family business.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Claire is family.”
Victor smiled thinly.
“By contract.”
The room went still.
I looked at him.
Then smiled.
“Funny. That's also how most business partnerships work.”
Someone coughed.
Adrian's mouth twitched.
Victor's face darkened.
The meeting began.
Victor argued that Adrian's injury had weakened the family.
That rivals were becoming aggressive.
That certain shipping routes had become vulnerable.
Adrian listened.
Then asked for evidence.
Victor presented reports.
Financial losses.
Delayed shipments.
Security incidents.
I glanced at the documents.
Something caught my attention.
The dates.
Three security breaches had occurred on nights when Victor's private logistics company handled the transfers.
I leaned toward Adrian.
Whispered.
He looked at the papers.
Then slowly smiled.
“Victor.”
His uncle looked up.
“Yes?”
“Why do all your examples involve operations you controlled?”
Silence.
Victor froze.
Adrian looked at me.
Then back at the council.
“My wife noticed something interesting.”
Every face turned toward me.
May you like
I smiled politely.
“Perhaps we should review the contracts before blaming the wheelchair.”
