Chapter 10 - The Vote
Marcus had spent months building a second empire inside Adrian’s first.
Seven board members had received private payments.
Three union officials owed him favors.
Two city inspectors were on his payroll.
And Adrian’s own corporate counsel had prepared a resolution declaring him mentally unfit to control Vale Holdings.
The justification was grief.
Erratic behavior.
Violence.
Obsession over Evelyn’s death.
Marcus had been documenting Adrian’s worst moments for eight months.
Every broken table.
Every threat.
Every sleepless meeting.
Every time Adrian demanded that the search continue.
Marcus had not comforted a grieving friend.
He had been building a case.
The board vote would occur Friday morning.
If Adrian lost control, Marcus would become acting executive steward.
If Lily remained legally dead, the family trust would recognize no heir.
Marcus would control nearly everything.
Thomas stared at the documents Grant’s source had provided.
“He planned the funeral and your removal at the same time.”
Adrian looked toward the room where Lily slept.
“No.”
Thomas frowned.
Adrian picked up Evelyn’s flash drive.
“He planned this before the funeral.”
Adrian spent the night tracing the South Branch transactions.
At 3:40 a.m., he found another name.
Samuel Voss.
His corporate attorney.
The man who had written the emergency succession resolution.
Samuel had served Adrian’s father.
He had witnessed Adrian sign the trust.
He knew exactly what Lily’s survival would mean.
Adrian called him.
Samuel answered on the second ring.
“Adrian?”
“I need the board meeting moved to tomorrow.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Several directors are traveling.”
Adrian smiled coldly.
“Interesting.”
“What is?”
“I never told you which meeting I meant.”
Silence.
Samuel disconnected.
Thomas whispered, “He’s with Marcus.”
“Not necessarily.”
Adrian looked at the phone.
“He’s afraid of Marcus.”
Twenty minutes later, Samuel called again.
He sounded breathless.
“You were right.”
“About what?”
“Lily changes everything.”
Adrian slowly stood.
“How do you know Lily is alive?”
Samuel said nothing.
May you like
Then a gunshot cracked through the phone.
The line went dead.
