Chapter 6 - THE BOARDROOM
At 9:00 the next morning, I walked into Mercer Development Group carrying my son.
Nobody expected that.
Especially the board.
Elias walked beside me.
Rebecca followed.
Two security officers remained outside.
The room I entered was the same room I had walked out of two years earlier.
Same walnut table.
Same skyline.
Same gold Mercer logo.
Different Claire.
My father sat at the head of the table.
The chair beside him was empty.
Grant’s chair.
My mother’s seat near the window was empty too.
Eleven board members watched me cross the room.
Some looked embarrassed.
Others looked terrified.
I placed Noah’s carrier beside my chair.
Then I sat.
One director cleared his throat.
“Claire, perhaps this is not an appropriate environment for an infant.”
I looked at him.
“He owns more integrity than half the people who usually sit in this room.”
Nobody objected again.
Rebecca distributed the evidence.
Shell companies.
False invoices.
Unauthorized transfers.
Altered ownership records.
My grandfather’s letter.
Emails between Grant and my mother.
Then came the numbers.
Twenty-six million dollars.
That was the confirmed amount.
The probable amount was closer to forty-two.
One board member stood.
“This is impossible.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“You approved three of the vendors.”
He sat back down.
My father looked physically ill.
Then the door opened.
Grant walked in.
Everyone turned.
He looked immaculate.
Gray suit.
Blue tie.
Perfect hair.
The golden son had arrived.
“Sorry I’m late.”
My father stood.
“Where were you?”
Grant ignored him.
He looked at me.
Then at Noah.
His smile disappeared.
“You brought him here?”
“His name is Noah.”
“I know his name.”
That caught everyone’s attention.
I leaned forward.
“How?”
Grant realized his mistake.
Too late.
“You sent the photograph.”
“No.”
“You knew about Elias.”
“No.”
“You knew Noah’s full name before he was born.”
Grant looked toward Rebecca.
“I’m not answering anything without counsel.”
“Smartest thing you’ve said this week.”
My father slammed his hand against the table.
“Did you steal from this company?”
Grant turned toward him.
“I protected this company.”
“Did you steal from it?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
Grant laughed.
“You want an explanation now?”
His voice rose.
“After twenty years of letting Mom make every dirty decision you were too cowardly to make?”
My father went silent.
There it was.
Grant looked around the room.
“You all loved Richard Mercer because he kept his hands clean.”
He pointed at my father.
“But someone always had to do the ugly work.”
My stomach tightened.
“Mom.”
Grant looked at me.
“You always thought you were smarter than everyone.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I just looked at the invoices.”
His face twisted.
“You ruined everything.”
“No.”
“You did.”
Grant stepped toward me.
Elias immediately stood.
Grant stopped.
Then he laughed.
“Vale.”
He looked Elias up and down.
“You think you’re saving her?”
“No.”
Elias’s voice was calm.
“She saved herself.”
Grant’s eyes moved to Noah.
Something in his expression made every instinct in my body scream.
I stood between him and the carrier.
“Don’t look at my son.”
Grant smiled.
“You really don’t know, do you?”
The room went silent.
“Know what?”
He looked at my father.
Then back at me.
“Ask Dad why Vale Capital was already investigating Mercer before you ever met Elias.”
I turned toward Elias.
He didn’t move.
But Rebecca did.
Her expression changed.
I looked at Elias.
“What is he talking about?”
May you like
Grant smiled.
And for the first time since he entered the room, he looked like he had won.
