Chapter 4 - MY MOTHER’S EMPTY CHAIR
At 8:58 a.m., I walked into the boardroom of Wentworth Holdings.
Every conversation stopped.
Twelve directors sat around the walnut table.
Two corporate attorneys stood near the windows.
Daniel was at my usual seat.
My mother’s chair was empty.
For obvious reasons.
Three directors looked stunned to see me.
Those were the three I immediately began watching.
Thomas Beck.
Gerald Price.
And Martin Hale.
Thomas recovered first.
“Austin.”
“You look surprised.”
“We were told you were in London.”
“I’ve heard that a lot today.”
I placed my phone on the table.
“Continue.”
Daniel cleared his throat.
“This emergency meeting was called by Margaret Wentworth based on documents indicating that Austin intended to delegate temporary voting authority.”
I looked around the room.
“I did not.”
Gerald leaned forward.
“We have signed documents.”
“You have forged documents.”
Nobody moved.
I continued.
“The original succession certificate remains secured.”
Martin shook his head.
“Margaret said she possessed the original.”
“She does not.”
Thomas frowned.
“Then where is it?”
I looked directly at him.
“Why do you need to know?”
His face tightened.
Daniel slid copies of the disputed documents toward me.
I had spent my adult life negotiating deals.
I understood nervous people.
Gerald kept looking toward the door.
Martin was rubbing his thumb across the edge of his folder.
Thomas was too calm.
“I want the meeting entered into the official record,” I said.
Daniel nodded.
“It already is.”
“Good.”
I stood.
“Then let the record reflect that while this meeting was being organized, Margaret Wentworth and Carla Wentworth were arrested inside my home.”
The room erupted.
I raised one hand.
Silence returned.
“They were found attempting to break into my private safe while removing confidential corporate materials.”
Thomas stood.
“This has nothing to do with us.”
I looked at him.
“I didn’t say it did.”
He slowly sat back down.
That reaction was enough for Daniel to notice.
I saw it in his eyes.
Then I placed the forged document on the table.
“Who prepared this?”
No one answered.
“The formatting matches our internal legal templates.”
Still nothing.
I looked toward corporate counsel.
“Lock all executive credentials.”
Daniel stared at me.
“Austin.”
“All of them.”
“That will freeze half the company.”
“For an hour.”
I pointed toward the papers.
“Whoever created these had internal access.”
Thomas pushed his chair back.
“This is absurd.”
I smiled without humor.
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
At that exact moment, the boardroom door opened.
Detective Ramirez walked in with two investigators.
“Thomas Beck?”
Thomas went completely still.
Ramirez held up a document.
“We need to speak with you about communications recovered from Carla Wentworth’s phone.”
I watched Thomas’s face lose its color.
May you like
And suddenly I understood.
My mother had not planned this alone.
