Chapter 14 - The Boardroom Betrayal
The emergency board meeting began at nine the next morning.
By then, Daniel had been awake for nearly thirty hours.
I had slept less than two.
Ava was still missing.
Richard had stopped answering his phone.
And Victor Sloan had apparently disappeared.
But Daniel insisted on attending.
"Richard wants the company," he told me.
"Let him have it."
He looked surprised.
"Sarah—"
"I mean it."
I stood in the doorway of his dressing room.
"I don't care what happens to your boardroom."
His expression softened.
"I know."
"Then why are you going?"
"Because the company records may be the only way to find where Richard took Ava."
I crossed my arms.
"Explain."
"Richard used Hayes Meridian properties and shell companies to hide payments for years."
"And?"
"If he has access to the full corporate network, he can erase those records."
"Then preserve them."
"We're trying."
He pulled on his jacket.
"But Richard controls the audit committee."
I watched him adjust his tie.
He looked exhausted.
Older than the man who had stopped beside the highway.
For the first time, I wondered what his life had been like before us.
A billion-dollar company.
A family full of enemies.
A father whose legacy was collapsing.
A mother whose death might have been deliberate.
He had everything money could buy.
And almost nothing money couldn't.
"Daniel."
He turned.
"Come here."
He hesitated.
Then stepped toward me.
I straightened his tie.
My hands were trembling.
He looked down.
"Sarah?"
"Bring my daughter home."
His eyes filled.
"I will do everything I can."
This time, I believed the effort behind the words.
Not because I trusted him completely.
Because I had seen him lose sleep, challenge his uncle, and risk the company he loved trying to protect my children.
He touched my hand.
"Thank you."
I stepped back.
"Go."
The Hayes Meridian headquarters rose above downtown Phoenix, all glass and steel.
Reporters gathered outside.
Cameras flashed as Daniel entered.
Richard was already inside.
He sat at the head of the conference table, wearing a dark blue suit and a smug expression.
"Daniel."
"Richard."
"You're late."
"Then let's begin."
Eleven directors occupied the long table.
Several avoided Daniel's eyes.
Others looked openly hostile.
Richard tapped a stack of documents.
"Given the recent scandal, the allegations surrounding your marriage, and the current criminal investigation, I believe we must consider removing you from operational control."
Daniel sat down.
"You're welcome to make your case."
Richard smiled.
"Oh, I intend to."
For nearly two hours, the directors reviewed allegations.
Some were true.
Daniel had concealed the existence of potential trust beneficiaries.
He had entered an unusually rapid marriage.
He had failed to remove Victor's system privileges after discovering earlier security concerns.
Other allegations were false.
Richard claimed Daniel had misused company resources to purchase a wife.
He suggested Sarah's children were part of a financial scheme.
He even implied Daniel had arranged Ava's disappearance to generate sympathy.
When Martin repeated those claims to me by phone, I wanted to scream.
Instead, I asked one question.
"Can the board remove him?"
Martin hesitated.
"From the CEO position, yes."
"And his ownership?"
"No. Not directly."
I closed my eyes.
"Then let them remove him."
Martin sounded surprised.
"Sarah?"
"Tell Daniel to stop defending his title."
"He's fighting for the company."
"His stepdaughter is missing."
I paused.
"And my daughter is worth more than a billion dollars."
Martin said nothing.
I continued.
"Tell him I'm coming."
Olivia objected.
So did Agent Torres.
But the meeting was publicized, and my attorney agreed I could attend with security.
I arrived shortly before noon.
Every head turned when I entered.
Richard smiled.
"Mrs. Hayes."
I ignored him.
Daniel stood.
"Sarah?"
I walked to his side.
Then I looked around the table.
"You all know who I am."
No one spoke.
"I'm the homeless woman your newspapers have been laughing at."
Richard leaned back.
"This is a board meeting."
"I know."
I looked directly at him.
"And you're the man who had my daughter taken."
The room erupted.
Directors whispered.
Richard's smile vanished.
"That is an outrageous accusation."
I turned toward the board chair.
"Has anyone here heard the recording of Victor Sloan discussing the kidnapping?"
Silence.
"Has anyone reviewed the documents showing unauthorized trust transfers?"
Nothing.
"Have you seen the original engineering warnings from Patrick Reed?"
A director at the far end of the table sat forward.
"Patrick Reed?"
"Yes."
I looked around.
"My father."
Richard stood.
"This woman has no right to disrupt these proceedings."
I faced him.
"My children may be beneficiaries of the trust you're trying to control."
I took a breath.
"And until the records are independently examined, none of you knows how much of that company was built using work my father was never paid for."
A woman on the board raised her hand.
"Mr. Chairman, I'd like to request an independent review."
Richard snapped.
"Denied."
Several directors looked startled.
Daniel watched him.
Richard realized his mistake.
He smiled tightly.
"That matter can be addressed later."
But the vote was called anyway.
Six directors supported Richard.
Five opposed him.
Daniel Hayes was removed as chief executive officer.
Richard became interim chairman and assumed temporary operational control.
For one second, the room fell completely silent.
Then Daniel stood.
He looked at me.
And smiled.
Not because he'd won.
Because he finally understood.
The company was not the most important thing in his life.
He reached for my hand.
"Let's go find Ava."
We walked out together.
Behind us, Richard's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
"What do you mean she's gone?"
He listened.
Then shouted.
"FIND HER!"
I stopped.
Daniel turned.
Richard realized we had heard him.
He lowered the phone.
Too late.
I took one step toward him.
"Who is gone?"
He didn't answer.
"Richard."
His face had turned gray.
I whispered the question that mattered more than anything.
"Where is my daughter?"
May you like
And Richard, the man who had just taken Daniel's company, looked frightened for the first time.
"I don't know."
