Chapter 7: The Emergency Board Meeting
The Cross Global board met again on Friday morning.
This time, Nathaniel was permitted to attend only with legal counsel.
He entered the conference room wearing a navy suit and the expression of a man determined to perform confidence until everyone else believed it.
William Prescott sat at the head of the table.
Beside him were independent auditors, outside counsel, and two representatives from the Bennett Trust.
Olivia Carter entered last.
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed.
“This is a corporate meeting.”
Olivia took her seat.
“It became relevant to my client when corporate entities were used to move stolen funds.”
Nathaniel’s attorney touched his arm.
“Let me handle this.”
Prescott activated a screen.
A diagram appeared.
At the top sat the Bennett Hope Foundation.
Beneath it were shell companies, consulting firms, property accounts, and luxury vendors.
Every line eventually led to Nathaniel or Camille.
The auditor spoke for twenty minutes.
Nine million dollars had been diverted.
Three million came directly from charitable programs.
Another two million came from Sophia’s protected trust distributions.
The remainder had been disguised through Cross Global contracts.
Nathaniel remained still.
When the presentation ended, Prescott asked, “Do you deny authorizing these transactions?”
“I deny stealing anything.”
“That was not the question.”
“The funds were moved as part of a temporary liquidity structure.”
“Where is that structure documented?”
Nathaniel glanced at his lawyer.
Olivia placed a transcript on the table.
It contained Nathaniel’s recorded conversation with Evan in the garage.
Do not become the weakest person in this situation.
Nathaniel read the sentence.
His face lost color.
“This recording was made illegally.”
“New York permits one-party consent,” Olivia replied. “Mr. Lyle participated in the conversation.”
Prescott folded his hands.
“The board will now vote on permanent removal.”
Nathaniel stood.
“You built this company because I led it.”
“No,” Prescott replied. “This company grew because thousands of employees trusted its leadership.”
One by one, the directors voted.
Removal.
Removal.
Removal.
The final count was eleven to one.
Nathaniel stared at the people around the table.
“Who voted against?”
Prescott looked at him.
“You did.”
Security escorted Nathaniel from the headquarters.
Outside, reporters crowded behind barricades.
Questions struck him from every direction.
“Did you misuse charitable funds?”
“Is your wife cooperating with investigators?”
“Did you purchase property for Camille Hart?”
Nathaniel kept walking.
Then one reporter shouted, “Is it true Sophia has filed for sole custody of your unborn child?”
Nathaniel stopped.
That question reached somewhere deeper than the others.
He turned toward the cameras.
But before he could answer, his attorney pulled him into the car.
Across the city, Sophia watched the live broadcast without satisfaction.
She did not celebrate his fall.
May you like
She simply placed one hand over her stomach and whispered:
“This is how we make sure he can never do it again.”
