Chapter 10 - The Boardroom Trap
Samuel survived.
The bullet had passed through his shoulder.
Before sunrise, he was transported to a private clinic guarded by Daniel's former colleagues.
Charlotte remained at the hotel.
By 8:00 a.m., reporters surrounded every entrance.
The video of Charlotte revealing her identity had spread worldwide.
The young woman dragged across the lobby wasn't homeless.
She wasn't a trespasser.
She was Charlotte Vale.
The rightful owner.
Public opinion turned within hours.
Celeste Harrington became the most hated socialite in America overnight.
But Charlotte didn't care about headlines.
At 9:00 a.m., the board meeting began.
Twelve directors entered the conference room.
Adrian sat at the head of the table.
Victor Hale sat beside him.
Charlotte entered last.
Every conversation stopped.
Victor smiled.
"My dear."
Charlotte remained standing.
"Don't call me that."
Victor's smile faded.
Adrian tapped a folder.
"This meeting concerns the emergency sale of Solmere Holdings."
Charlotte laughed softly.
"You can't sell something you don't own."
Victor slid documents across the table.
"Actually, Charlotte, your mother amended the family trust."
Daniel entered behind her.
"No, she didn't."
Victor looked at him.
"Daniel."
"Victor."
The two men stared at each other.
Daniel placed Eleanor's succession order on the table.
Victor didn't even look surprised.
"Forgery."
Charlotte studied him.
"You knew it existed."
Victor leaned back.
"I suspected."
Adrian addressed the board.
"Charlotte is emotionally unstable."
Charlotte felt anger rise.
He continued.
"We have evidence of erratic behavior."
Screens around the room turned on.
Edited security footage showed Charlotte breaking into Suite 1704.
Another clip showed her smashing a camera.
A third showed her escaping the burning lake house.
Adrian spread his hands.
"She has demonstrated dangerous paranoia."
Charlotte looked around the table.
Several directors avoided her eyes.
They had been prepared.
Victor stood.
"We are requesting temporary guardianship of Ms. Vale's shares."
Daniel laughed.
"Based on edited video?"
"Based on medical evidence."
A door opened.
A doctor entered.
Charlotte recognized him.
Dr. Frederick Sloan.
Her mother's personal physician.
The man who signed Eleanor's death certificate.
Charlotte stopped breathing.
Sloan placed a file on the table.
"Charlotte Vale has a documented history of psychiatric instability."
Charlotte stared at him.
"I have never been your patient."
Sloan didn't blink.
"Your records say otherwise."
Victor smiled.
Charlotte finally understood.
They weren't trying to kill her anymore.
Killing her had become too visible.
Instead, they planned to erase her legally.
Declare her incompetent.
Transfer control.
Then hide everything behind courts and paperwork.
Adrian pushed a pen toward the board chairman.
"Shall we vote?"
Charlotte slowly sat down.
Then she smiled.
Adrian frowned.
"What?"
Charlotte turned toward Dr. Sloan.
"Before we vote, doctor, perhaps you'd like to explain why my mother's blood contained a drug she was never prescribed."
Sloan's face turned white.
Adrian's eyes snapped toward him.
Charlotte placed a laboratory report on the table.
"You signed the death certificate."
Sloan began sweating.
"But you didn't perform the toxicology test."
Charlotte looked around the room.
"I did."
Victor's smile disappeared.
Charlotte leaned forward.
"And according to the results, my mother didn't die from a heart attack."
May you like
Silence swallowed the boardroom.
"She was poisoned."
