Chapter 12 - The Board Turns
Daniel expected Rachel to bring him the recording.
She did not.
For twenty-four hours, she said nothing.
That silence cost him.
Whitmore House Group’s board convened again on Thursday.
The liquidity problem was now serious.
Sarah had found an alternative lender, but the proposal offered only forty million dollars and required immediate cost cuts.
Victor’s deal offered eighty.
Nora Bell addressed Daniel privately.
“The special committee believes you should take temporary leave as CEO.”
Daniel stared.
“Because someone forged my authorization?”
“Because your family crisis, disputed financing, and public accusations are impairing the company.”
“You believe Victor.”
“I believe stability matters.”
“That is what people say when they choose power over truth.”
Nora’s expression hardened.
“Your father said things like that whenever anyone disagreed with him.”
The comparison struck harder than she intended.
Daniel sat back.
Nora continued.
“You pushed expansion despite warning signs.”
True.
“You approved projects before financing was secure.”
True.
“You brought Halcyon into negotiations.”
True.
“And after discovering the affair, you confronted Victor in front of directors in a way that allowed him to portray this as revenge.”
Also true.
Daniel looked through the glass wall at hundreds of employees working beyond the conference room.
His mistakes were not equal to Victor’s.
But they were real.
“When does the leave begin?”
“Immediately.”
Daniel removed his CEO access badge.
He placed it on the table.
“Who takes over?”
“I will serve as executive chair. Operations stay with the management team.”
Daniel nodded.
He owned his shares.
But he no longer controlled daily operations.
Another reversal.
Outside, reporters waited.
Sarah moved him through a private elevator.
“Say nothing.”
He obeyed.
For once.
At Whitmore House, Caleb was building a model bridge on the dining table.
Daniel sat beside him.
“Why aren’t you at work?”
“I’m working from home for a while.”
“Did you get fired?”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“Not exactly.”
Caleb looked suspicious.
“That means kind of.”
“Kind of.”
Caleb returned to his bridge.
After a minute he said, “Mom cries in the bathroom.”
Daniel’s chest tightened.
“You don’t have to take care of her.”
“I know.”
“Adults are responsible for adult feelings.”
Caleb nodded.
Then, “Are you mad at me?”
Daniel turned fully toward him.
“Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because I found the key.”
“No.”
“Everything got bad after.”
Daniel touched his shoulder.
“Everything was already bad. The key showed us.”
Caleb considered that.
Later Rachel arrived for the parenting exchange.
She looked exhausted.
Daniel noticed immediately.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
He almost let her go.
Then she whispered, “I lost three point two million dollars.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“Separate money. From my father’s estate and investments. I put it into a Halcyon vehicle.”
“Victor took it?”
“He moved it.”
“Call your lawyer.”
“I did.”
Daniel felt no satisfaction.
Only weariness.
Rachel handed him a flash drive.
“What is this?”
“My conversation with Victor.”
Daniel looked up.
“You recorded him?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you bring it yesterday?”
“Because I was afraid.”
Daniel wanted to say, You should be.
Instead he asked, “What’s on it?”
“He admits I used your device. He doesn’t directly admit telling me to forge anything.”
“That’s convenient.”
“He says I pressed the button.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Rachel added, “He also says I was necessary.”
For the first time, Daniel understood that Victor’s betrayal of Rachel did not erase Rachel’s betrayal of him.
Both could be true.
He took the drive.
Before leaving, Rachel turned.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“He has my father’s original statement in the records suite at Halcyon.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw him put it in a black document case.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Daniel stared.
Rachel swallowed.
“And Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“He said Charles kept an original release where Martin named him.”
Daniel looked toward the library.
The preservation order required Victor to keep it.
If Victor still had it, they could force production.
If he destroyed it, he would be destroying evidence under a court order.
Either way, the stakes had changed.
Sarah called ten minutes later.
“Daniel, Victor filed an emergency motion.”
“For what?”
“To enforce the financing and the warrant provisions.”
“When is the hearing?”
“Monday.”
Daniel looked at Rachel through the rain-covered window as she walked to her car.
May you like
Four days.
If they could not prove the consent was unauthorized by Monday, Victor might turn a forged signature into legal leverage over Whitmore.
