Chapter 6 - The Emergency Board Meeting
By nine o'clock, the sleek black glass conference room on the top floor of Harriet’s corporate headquarters was packed to capacity. Twelve regional directors, the chief financial officer, and our corporate legal counsel sat around the massive mahogany table.
When the double doors swung open, Harriet walked in first, her posture upright and commanding, dressed in a sharp navy blazer that commanded immediate respect. I walked right beside her, carrying the leather briefcase containing the ownership transfer documents.
A murmur rippled through the room. Several board members who had secretly cozied up to Sterling over the past year shifted uncomfortably in their seats, their eyes darting nervously toward the empty chair at the head of the table where Sterling used to sit during advisory sessions.
"Good morning, everyone," Harriet said, taking her seat at the right hand of the primary chair—the one now legally designated for me.
I pulled out the chair at the absolute head of the table, sat down, and placed the manila folder squarely in front of me.
"As of four o'clock yesterday afternoon," I began, my voice clear and steady, cutting through the whispering in the room, "full operational and legal control of this enterprise rests with this office. Sterling Brooks has been permanently removed from any association with this company, and federal authorities are currently auditing every single transaction tied to Apex Holdings LLC."
The room went dead silent.
Marcus Vance, the chief financial officer—a man who had looked the other way while Sterling manipulated the books—cleared his throat nervously. "Miss... Miss Bellamy, surely this is a drastic measure. Mr. Brooks had several expansion contracts in motion with our Pacific Northwest suppliers. To halt operations abruptly could jeopardize our quarterly margins—"
"Mr. Vance," I interrupted, leaning forward and locking eyes with him. "Let’s talk about quarterly margins. Let’s talk about the four point two million dollars siphoned out of our regional maintenance reserves over the last thirty-six months. Do you want to explain to this board why those discrepancies never appeared in your internal audit reports, or should we let the federal investigators ask you that question down at the federal building?"
Marcus turned the color of spoiled milk. He opened his mouth, stammered a half-formed excuse, and then slumped back into his leather chair, staring down at his notepad without another word.
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"The audit starts today," I continued, scanning the faces around the table. "Every vendor contract, every real estate holding, and every subsidiary account is going under review. If you were loyal to this company and honest in your work, you have nothing to fear. If you were playing games with Sterling, pack your desk before lunch."
Within ten minutes, three other executives quietly gathered their belongings and walked out of the conference room. The housecleaning had officially begun.
