Chapter 11 - EMILY TAKES THE CHAIR
The next morning, Emily walked into the boardroom.
Not as Preston’s wife.
Not as Raymond’s niece.
As Claire Saint Claire’s daughter.
Her doctor had discharged her with strict instructions to rest.
Emily promised she would.
After one meeting.
Raymond pulled out a chair for her.
“You don’t have to do this today.”
“Yes.”
She sat.
“I do.”
Arthur Whitmore was already there.
He looked ashamed.
Emily placed her mother’s letter on the table.
“I want the internal investigation expanded.”
Margaret nodded.
“To what scope?”
“All executive spending for five years.”
Arthur looked up.
Emily continued.
“All medical-record access by nonclinical executives.”
Raymond nodded.
“All complaints involving Preston.”
Arthur’s expression changed.
“Emily.”
She looked at him.
“If there are none, you have nothing to worry about.”
Arthur lowered his eyes.
Emily understood.
“There are complaints.”
Arthur said nothing.
Raymond’s face hardened.
“How many?”
Arthur exhaled.
“Three that I know of.”
Emily stared at him.
“What kind?”
“Bullying.”
Another pause.
“Retaliation.”
Margaret began writing.
“And?”
Arthur looked toward Emily.
“One employee claimed Preston pressured her to alter expense documentation.”
Raymond stood.
“You knew this?”
“I handled it.”
“How?”
“She received a settlement.”
Emily felt anger rise.
Not explosive anger.
Something colder.
“You paid her.”
Arthur looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“To protect Preston.”
“To protect the hospital.”
Emily shook her head.
“No.”
She slid her mother’s letter across the table.
“You protected the name.”
Arthur stared at the page.
Emily continued.
“That ends now.”
Margaret looked at her.
“What are you proposing?”
Emily had thought about it all night.
“An independent ethics office.”
Raymond listened.
“Direct reporting outside executive management.”
Margaret nodded slowly.
“Anonymous employee complaints.”
Another nod.
“Automatic review when executives access patient records.”
Raymond smiled faintly.
Emily wasn’t finished.
“And no Whitmore or Saint Claire family member gets immunity from investigation.”
Arthur looked at her.
“Including you?”
“Especially me.”
Silence.
Then Raymond leaned back.
“Your mother would approve.”
Emily’s eyes watered.
“I hope so.”
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
She ignored it.
It rang again.
Then a message appeared.
EMILY, PLEASE.
Another.
I’M SORRY.
Then another.
VANESSA LIED TO ME.
Emily almost laughed.
Even now, Preston blamed someone else.
She blocked the number.
But five minutes later, Margaret received a call.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
She listened.
Then turned toward Raymond.
“Preston emptied one of his personal investment accounts last night.”
“How much?”
“Four point eight million.”
Arthur stood.
“Where did it go?”
Margaret looked at Emily.
“We don’t know.”
But they soon discovered Preston had purchased two international tickets.
May you like
One was in his name.
The other belonged to Vanessa Cross.
