Chapter 7 - The BoardroomMercer Development’s emergency board meeting began at nine on Monday morning.
At 8:42, Dominic still believed he was going to survive it.
I knew because he texted me.
Last chance. Tell your father to withdraw his accusations and I’ll keep this private.
I stared at the message.
Then handed the phone to Martin.
“Can we use this?”
He smiled.
“Absolutely.”
For the first time since Noah’s birth, I wore something that wasn’t a hospital gown, maternity dress, or pajamas.
Black slacks.
A loose cream blouse.
Flat shoes.
Nothing touched my incision.
Dad had suggested I remain home.
I refused.
“This is my life they’re discussing.”
He didn’t argue twice.
We arrived at Mercer Development headquarters at 8:55.
The glass lobby had once made me proud.
Dominic’s name was engraved beside the elevator bank.
MERCER DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Three years earlier, I had stood in that same lobby holding champagne while Dominic whispered, “One day nobody will say I got here because of your father.”
At the time I thought he meant he wanted to earn respect.
Now I understood.
He wanted to erase the debt while keeping the benefits.
The boardroom occupied the eighteenth floor.
Dominic stood at the far end when I entered.
His face went white.
“What is she doing here?”
Chairman Robert Lang looked uncomfortable.
“Audrey has been invited because some of the disputed funds belong to her.”
“My marital finances are not board business.”
“They became board business when they entered company accounts.”
Dominic looked toward Sabrina.
She sat two chairs away.
She hadn’t looked at me.
Her attorney sat beside her.
That told me enough.
Vivian was not present.
According to Martin, she had retained separate criminal counsel overnight.
Families became remarkably independent once subpoenas appeared.
Dad took a seat behind me.
Not beside me.
That mattered.
He wasn’t speaking for me.
I was.
Robert opened the meeting.
“Dominic, the board has received evidence suggesting company funds were transferred to undisclosed related entities, including Bellweather Strategic Consulting.”
“Every payment was legitimate.”
“Bellweather is controlled by your mother.”
“She provided consulting.”
“What consulting?”
“Strategic.”
Someone at the table almost laughed.
Robert did not.
“We also have concerns regarding personal funds belonging to your wife entering company accounts.”
Dominic looked at me.
“Audrey agreed.”
“No,” I said.
His eyes hardened.
“You absolutely did.”
“I signed documents you described as insurance paperwork.”
“That’s your version.”
“Yes.”
I leaned forward.
“It is.”
He hated how calm I sounded.
I could tell.
Robert continued.
“There is also a disputed power of attorney.”
Dominic sighed dramatically.
“Can we stop pretending Audrey is financially unsophisticated? She grew up around lawyers. If she signed something without reading it, that’s not fraud.”
That sentence cost him the room.
I watched it happen.
One director looked down.
Another shifted in his chair.
Dad didn’t move.
Dominic continued, unaware.
“My wife trusted me to manage our affairs.”
“Trust is not consent,” I said.
He smiled thinly.
“You’re learning your father’s language quickly.”
“No. I’m remembering my own.”
Silence.
Robert looked at Martin.
“You indicated there was evidence the board should hear.”
Martin nodded.
“With Ms. Cross’s permission.”
Evelyn entered.
Dominic stood so fast his chair rolled backward.
“No.”
That single word sounded like panic.
Robert frowned.
“Sit down.”
“You have no idea who she is.”
“I know exactly who she is.”
“She stole from this company.”
Evelyn stopped walking.
I watched her face.
Years of fear came rushing back all at once.
Then she looked at me.
I nodded.
She continued to the table.
“My name is Evelyn Cross. I worked in accounting for Mercer Development from 2021 through 2022. I discovered undisclosed transfers from company projects to entities associated with Vivian Mercer.”
Dominic pointed at her.
“She was fired for misconduct.”
“I resigned.”
“You signed a confidentiality agreement.”
“My attorney disagrees that it covers alleged financial crimes.”
Martin connected a laptop to the conference screen.
Dominic looked toward Sabrina.
“Stop this.”
Sabrina didn’t move.
“Sabrina.”
Her attorney whispered something.
Then she said quietly, “I represent myself in this matter, Dominic.”
He stared at her.
The betrayal on his face was almost comical.
“You work for me.”
“No,” she said. “I worked for the company.”
Past tense.
Dominic heard it.
Martin played the recording.
Forty-six minutes became a demolition.
Every sentence stripped away another defense.
Dominic’s voice described Bellweather.
Asset shielding.
Emergency offshore funds.
My trust.
My signature.
Then came the line about marrying access.
No one looked at me.
That was almost worse.
The recording ended.
Dominic stood motionless.
Robert removed his glasses.
“Is that your voice?”
Dominic laughed.
“You’re asking whether an audio file can be manipulated in the age of artificial intelligence?”
Martin seemed prepared.
“A forensic audio specialist has authenticated it provisionally using the original device file, metadata, ambient signatures, and known voice samples. Further examination is ongoing.”
Dominic looked at Evelyn.
“You recorded me in a private conversation.”
“Yes.”
“You treacherous—”
“Enough,” Robert said.
Dominic slammed his palm onto the table.
“No, not enough! This company exists because of me!”
Dad finally spoke.
“No.”
Dominic turned.
My father’s voice remained calm.
“This company exists because lenders funded it, employees built it, investors trusted it, and clients paid it.”
He leaned back.
“You were simply the person whose name was on the door.”
Dominic’s face twisted.
“You always wanted this.”
“What?”
“To humiliate me.”
Dad shook his head.
“You are still making the same mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“You think consequences are something other people do to you.”
Nobody spoke.
Robert announced the board had voted to place Dominic on immediate administrative suspension pending investigation.
Dominic stared at him.
“You can’t.”
“We just did.”
“I own twenty-eight percent.”
“And your employment authority is still suspended.”
Dominic looked at each board member.
“You cowards.”
Nobody answered.
He turned to me.
“And you.”
I didn’t flinch.
“This is what you wanted?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I wanted my husband to drive his wife and newborn home from the hospital.”
His face changed.
Just for a second.
I continued.
“I wanted you to tell me when your company was struggling. I wanted you to ask for help instead of stealing it. I wanted Noah to have a father I could trust.”
My voice broke.
I hated that it did.
But I continued.
“I wanted a family.”
Dominic stared at me.
“You had one.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I had a performance.”
He looked away first.
The meeting ended.
Outside the boardroom, two men in suits were waiting.
Federal investigators.
Dominic stopped walking.
Martin whispered to me, “They’re executing search warrants.”
My stomach dropped.
One investigator approached Dominic.
“Mr. Mercer, we’d like to speak with you regarding certain financial transactions.”
Dominic turned toward Dad.
“You did this.”
Dad shook his head.
“You overestimate me.”
“Bull.”
“Your board had already contacted regulators before Audrey called me.”
Dominic’s face changed.
It was true.
The empire had been cracking before I knew there was a problem.
My phone rang.
Elena.
I immediately stepped away.
“Is Noah okay?”
“Yes, sweetheart. He’s fine.”
I exhaled.
Then heard another voice behind her.
A woman.
Loud.
Angry.
“Elena?”
“I’ve called security.”
“What happened?”
“Vivian is outside.”
My blood went cold.
“What does she want?”
Elena hesitated.
“The baby.”
I was already moving.
Dad followed.
“What?”
“Vivian’s at your house.”
His face changed.
We reached the elevator.
Then Elena screamed through the phone.
A crash sounded.
I heard Noah crying.
“Elena!”
The call disconnected.
May you like
And suddenly the boardroom no longer mattered.
Nothing mattered except getting home.
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