Chapter 7 - The Boardroom Door

By seven o'clock, every senior executive in the flagship resort had received instructions to report to the top-floor boardroom.

Julian arrived first.

His old keycard did not open the boardroom door.

He stood outside pounding until Daniel let him in.

I was already seated at the far end of the table.

My father sat beside me.

Julian stopped walking.

He hadn't seen my father in eight months.

Richard Vale had always intimidated Julian.

Not because he raised his voice.

Because he never needed to.

Camille tried to enter behind Julian.

Margaret blocked her.

“This meeting is restricted.”

Camille looked at Julian.

He snapped, “She's with me.”

Margaret didn't move.

“No, Mr. Mercer.”

Julian stared at her.

“Excuse me?”

Margaret opened the boardroom door wider.

“You may enter.”

She looked at Camille.

“Ms. Laurent may not.”

The door closed between them.

Julian took a seat.

“What exactly is this?”

My father slid a document across the table.

“Notice of temporary suspension.”

Julian didn't touch it.

“You can't suspend me.”

“I already have.”

“You have no authority.”

My father turned another document toward him.

“Vale Meridian Holdings owns sixty-eight percent of voting control.”

Julian froze.

I watched the calculation move across his face.

He had heard the name.

Of course he had.

Vale Meridian appeared throughout our corporate structure.

But it was usually buried behind subsidiaries.

He looked at me.

“That's your father's company?”

I answered.

“My family's.”

“How much?”

“Sixty-eight percent.”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“No, that's impossible.”

Margaret placed additional records on the table.

“Here are the audited ownership filings.”

Julian flipped through the pages.

His movements grew faster.

“What about Crown International?”

“Forty-one percent owned by Vale Meridian.”

“The property division?”

“Wholly controlled by the Vale Land Trust.”

“The overseas leases?”

“Controlled through family entities.”

Julian stared at me.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“For nine years?”

“Yes.”

His face twisted.

“You lied to me.”

I felt something almost like sadness.

Then I remembered Camille in my bedroom.

“I didn't lie.”

“You let me believe this was ours.”

“It could have been.”

He looked confused.

I continued.

“You had management authority.”

“You had equity.”

“You had enormous compensation.”

“You had every opportunity to build something beside me.”

“But you decided beside me wasn't enough.”

His face hardened.

“This is revenge because I wanted a divorce.”

I shook my head.

“You didn't ask for a divorce.”

“You had security throw me into the rain while your mistress wore my grandmother's jewelry.”

My father looked at Julian.

For the first time, his calm expression changed.

“You did what?”

Julian said nothing.

Margaret slid one final document forward.

“And then there is the matter of twelve million dollars.”

Julian's eyes dropped.

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