Chapter 9 - THE EMERGENCY VOTE
The board meeting was scheduled for noon the following day.
Victor had submitted the motion before disappearing.
It claimed Noah was emotionally unfit to lead the company while his wife and premature child remained hospitalized.
The motion would appoint Victor temporary executive chairman.
Once approved, he would control corporate security, legal records, foreign accounts, and the foundation archives.
Noah wanted to remain beside Mia and Lily.
Mia refused to let him surrender the company.
“You can attend remotely.”
“I’m not leaving this hospital.”
“You don’t have to.”
She was pale from surgery, but her voice remained firm.
“Let him see you sitting beside me.”
“Let the entire board see exactly what his plan failed to destroy.”
At noon, Marcus set up a secure video connection inside Mia’s room.
Noah sat beside her bed.
Behind them, through the glass wall, Lily’s incubator was visible in the neonatal unit.
Eleven directors appeared on the screen.
Victor’s chair remained empty.
William Hawthorne opened the meeting.
“This is an extraordinary situation.”
Noah interrupted.
“It is also an illegal one.”
“The motion was submitted by a director who has disappeared during an active criminal investigation.”
Samuel Price, general counsel, adjusted his glasses.
“Victor has not been charged.”
“Neither had Scarlett when she tried to delete evidence.”
The board members exchanged uneasy looks.
Arthur Crane cleared his throat.
“Noah, this company cannot be governed from a hospital room.”
Mia turned toward the camera.
“It has apparently been governed from hidden accounts for years.”
Arthur’s face tightened.
“This is a board matter.”
“It became my matter when someone pushed me onto a marble floor to protect those accounts.”
Noah uploaded the partial financial records Mia had saved.
Payments appeared on the screen.
Shell companies.
False consultants.
Foreign transfers.
The directors began speaking over one another.
William raised his voice.
“Where did you get these?”
“From an independent audit requested by my wife.”
Noah looked directly at Arthur.
“Why did you approve seven payments to Lang Strategic Holdings?”
Arthur removed his glasses.
“I relied on Scarlett’s authorization.”
“Scarlett reported to you.”
“She reported to Victor.”
The distinction escaped too quickly.
Noah leaned forward.
“So Victor was secretly directing company officers?”
Arthur did not answer.
A new participant entered the meeting.
Victor Lang’s face appeared on the screen.
He sat inside a dark room.
“Noah.”
“I had hoped we could avoid this ugliness.”
“Tell me where you are.”
“That is not relevant.”
“You murdered my father.”
Several directors gasped.
Victor smiled faintly.
“Grief has made you reckless.”
Mia watched the background behind Victor.
A brass bell sounded faintly.
Then she saw water moving through a round window.
May you like
She whispered to Noah.
“He’s on a ship.”
