Chapter 19 - The Empire Changes Hands.
The boardroom clock read 12:54 a.m.
Six minutes remained before Arthur's vote.
Victor was escorted toward a police interview room, but he looked almost amused.
Arthur still controlled Thomas's disputed proxy.
If the sale passed, Solmere could be dismantled before the courts sorted out ownership.
Charlotte entered the boardroom with Thomas, Miriam, Daniel, Vanessa, and Gabriel behind her.
Arthur sat at the head of the table.
"This is a directors' meeting."
Charlotte took the chair beneath her mother's portrait again.
"Then start directing."
Arthur ignored her.
He called roll.
The room contained just enough members for a quorum.
Several directors avoided Charlotte's eyes.
Two had already retained criminal attorneys.
One kept checking the lobby doors as if expecting federal agents to enter at any moment.
The board that had once seemed like an untouchable wall of wealth now looked exactly like what it was: frightened people trying to calculate the cost of loyalty.
Miriam leaned toward Charlotte.
"We need to invalidate Thomas's proxy before the vote."
"How?"
Thomas answered.
"The proxy had a condition."
Everyone looked at him.
"Victor demanded that I sign it while I was being held at St. Arden."
"I added one sentence before I signed."
Arthur's face changed.
"What sentence?"
Thomas smiled weakly.
"You never read the original, did you?"
Miriam opened the recovered archive packet and scanned the proxy.
Then she laughed.
Charlotte had never heard her laugh before.
"He's right."
Arthur stood.
"What?"
Miriam read aloud.
"This proxy terminates automatically upon my physical return to any property legally owned by Solmere Holdings."
Silence.
Charlotte looked at her father.
Thomas touched the arm of his wheelchair.
"I entered the lobby fourteen minutes ago."
Miriam set the document down.
"Arthur's proxy is dead."
Arthur's face went gray.
Thomas immediately assigned his seventeen-percent vote to Charlotte for the meeting.
Combined with her controlling trust interest and the directors who had withdrawn support from Victor, Charlotte now held the deciding block.
Arthur tried to adjourn.
Charlotte objected.
Miriam supported the objection.
The remaining directors voted to continue.
Charlotte looked around the table.
"First motion."
"Reject the sale to Northlake Capital."
Every director except Arthur voted yes.
The sale died.
Arthur stared down at the table.
Charlotte continued.
"Second motion."
"Remove Arthur Bell as chairman, effective immediately."
Arthur stood again.
"You cannot do this."
Thomas smiled.
"Watch her."
The vote passed.
Arthur's security badge was deactivated before he reached the door.
Daniel's iPad chimed.
Charlotte looked at him.
"What now?"
He smiled for the first time all night.
"Your owner credentials have been restored across every Solmere property."
Charlotte looked down at the black tablet.
The screen refreshed.
CHARLOTTE VALE - CONTROLLING OWNER.
For months, her name had been erased from every system.
Now it appeared brighter than anything else on the screen.
Vanessa stood near the doorway.
Charlotte met her eyes.
"You dragged me across that floor."
Vanessa's face tightened.
"I know."
"You helped Victor find me."
"I know."
"And then you helped stop him."
Vanessa lowered her gaze.
"That doesn't erase the first two things."
Charlotte appreciated the answer more than an apology.
Before she could respond, a detective entered.
"Ms. Vale."
Charlotte turned.
"We found something in Victor Hale's phone."
"What?"
The detective hesitated.
"A scheduled message."
"It was supposed to send if he was arrested."
Charlotte's stomach tightened.
"To whom?"
May you like
The detective looked at Thomas.
"To the person who ordered Eleanor Vale's death."
