Chapter 11 - The Vote

The first nine votes came quickly.

Remove.

Remove.

Remove.

Remove.

Each word sounded almost identical.

Julian joined the meeting remotely from Marcus's apartment.

His camera was on.

He wore yesterday's shirt.

His hair was uncombed.

But his voice remained confident.

“This proceeding is retaliatory.”

Nobody responded.

“I am being punished for a private marital dispute.”

Miriam spoke.

“You are being reviewed for unauthorized transfers, governance violations, misuse of corporate security, undisclosed conflicts, and possible attempted diversion of company assets.”

Julian smiled.

“All allegations.”

“Correct.”

“Unproven.”

“For now.”

The tenth vote came.

Remove.

Julian's expression tightened.

Peter Sloan voted next.

Remove.

Only Marcus's seat remained.

Miriam looked at the camera.

“Mr. Hale has not joined.”

Julian leaned forward.

“Then the vote is incomplete.”

“No.”

She checked the governing documents.

“His absence is recorded as abstention.”

Julian looked toward Elena.

“Elena.”

She had not spoken once.

“Elena, you know what I did for this company.”

She met his eyes.

“Yes.”

“I took your ideas and turned them into real businesses.”

“You took our ideas.”

“I worked eighteen-hour days.”

“So did I.”

“I carried the public risk.”

“And I carried you.”

A few directors looked down.

Julian's face hardened.

“You want to destroy nine years because I fell in love with someone else?”

Elena's expression barely changed.

“This isn't about Vanessa anymore.”

“Of course it is.”

“No.”

She lifted the financial report.

“This is about thirty-one million dollars.”

Julian became still.

“This is about Mercer Crown Hospitality.”

His jaw tightened.

“This is about signatures you obtained while I was hospitalized.”

He glanced toward Peter.

Peter looked away.

“And this is about Claire Benton.”

For the first time, Julian lost control.

“I didn't touch Claire.”

Nobody had accused him of touching her.

The room changed.

Miriam immediately leaned forward.

“What do you mean?”

Julian realized his mistake.

“I mean I don't know where she is.”

Elena's voice was quiet.

“You knew she was missing.”

“Everyone knows.”

“No.”

She stared at him.

“We haven't released her name.”

Julian said nothing.

Richard slowly rose from his chair.

Miriam muted the conference audio.

She spoke to an associate.

“Contact the detectives now.”

Julian watched through the screen.

His confidence disappeared.

The final resolution appeared on every monitor.

JULIAN MERCER REMOVED AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

Effective immediately.

Miriam unmuted the call.

“The resolution passes.”

Julian's face went blank.

Elena expected satisfaction.

She felt none.

Only grief.

Nine years had ended in a sentence.

Then another window opened on the screen.

An emergency notification.

Security cameras had located Claire Benton's vehicle.

It was abandoned at a gas station twenty miles outside the city.

The driver's door was open.

Her purse was inside.

Her phone was gone.

And surveillance footage showed another vehicle arriving three minutes after Claire.

A black SUV.

Registered to Aurelia International Management.

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The vehicle had been assigned to one executive.

Marcus Hale.