Chapter 7 - THE VOTE TO ERASE THE FOUNDER
The emergency board meeting began at 2:00 p.m.
At 1:58, Elias was still wearing the janitor’s uniform.
Serena suggested he change.
He refused.
“I want them to remember exactly who they tried to throw out of the hallway.”
The directors joined by video and in person. Eleven voting members. Naomi took her seat without looking at anyone. Graham sat near the center, composed again.
Victor looked almost relieved.
Maya stood against the wall with James.
Technically, neither belonged there.
Elias had stopped caring about technically.
Graham opened the meeting.
“This is regrettable.”
Elias smiled faintly.
“People always say that right before doing something they planned carefully.”
Graham ignored him.
“Under Section 9.4 of the governance agreement, the board may temporarily suspend enhanced voting rights if credible medical evidence establishes incapacity.”
Serena placed the document on the table.
“Credible is doing a great deal of work in that sentence.”
Graham nodded toward the physician’s report.
“Dr. Malcolm Hayes is a licensed neurologist.”
“Who has never examined Mr. Ward,” Serena said.
The directors murmured.
Victor leaned forward.
“His conclusions are based on documented behavior.”
Maya almost laughed.
“Cleaning?”
Victor’s eyes snapped toward her.
Graham held up a hand.
“Unauthorized entry into operational areas. False representation as a contractor. Interference with security. Impulsive commands. Paranoid accusations.”
Elias looked around the table.
“You all received this in advance?”
Five directors nodded.
“When?”
“Last night,” one said.
Elias turned to Serena.
“Metadata?”
“Not yet.”
Maya’s head lifted.
She remembered something.
The board portal.
Interns in infrastructure security had helped test its document retention features two weeks earlier.
Every uploaded file preserved a hash and creation record.
Even deleted drafts.
She stepped toward Serena.
“The portal keeps versions.”
Serena looked at her.
“Can you access them?”
“Not the content. But audit metadata, yes.”
Victor stood.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
He recovered too late.
“I mean, she is not authorized to access board systems during an active governance proceeding.”
Elias smiled without warmth.
“Interesting objection.”
Graham said, “Serena can review it.”
“She doesn’t know where the logs sit,” Maya said. “I do.”
Elias nodded.
“Go.”
Victor stepped into the aisle.
“I formally object.”
“Noted,” Elias said. “Move.”
Maya left with an investigator.
The audit console was on forty-one in a secure admin room.
She logged in using the temporary credential Serena authorized.
Document: Ward_Capacity_Assessment_FINAL.pdf.
Uploaded: 11:43 p.m. yesterday.
Created: 4:12 p.m. yesterday.
Author field: BNolan.
Bryce Nolan.
Victor’s chief of staff.
Maya’s pulse jumped.
Then she saw another record.
A deleted draft.
Ward_Capacity_Assessment_v2.docx.
Created from template: Crisis_Governance_Playbook.docx.
Owner: VCrane.
“Yes,” Maya whispered.
The investigator photographed the screen.
A voice behind them said, “That was a mistake.”
Maya turned.
Victor stood in the doorway.
The investigator reached for his radio.
Victor shut the heavy security door and twisted the manual lock.
The investigator stepped forward.
Victor lifted his phone.
“I wouldn’t.”
On the screen was a live image of James Reed waiting outside the boardroom.
Maya stared.
“What is that?”
“A reminder that your father has survived this long because people occasionally make intelligent choices.”
The investigator’s face hardened.
“Threatening a witness is a felony.”
Victor gave him a tired look.
“Then write it down.”
Maya quietly started recording on her smartwatch.
Victor approached her.
“You think Elias Ward is some hero?”
“I think you’re scared of him.”
Victor smiled.
“No. I’m scared of nostalgia. It makes people stupid.”
“You forged the medical report.”
“I prepared governance options.”
“You burned files.”
“Bryce panicked.”
“You blacklisted employees.”
Victor’s face lost its smile.
“We managed risk.”
“By using their mortgages and families against them?”
“By understanding reality.”
Maya’s voice shook, but she kept speaking.
“And my father?”
Victor leaned closer.
“Your father could have walked away rich. Instead he wanted to be righteous.”
“You ruined him.”
“He ruined himself.”
Maya swallowed.
“Did Graham order it?”
Victor’s eyes flickered.
Tiny.
But enough.
Maya saw it.
“So he did.”
Victor grabbed her wrist.
“Give me the watch.”
The investigator lunged.
Victor shoved Maya backward.
She hit the server cabinet hard enough to see white.
The investigator tackled him.
Victor kicked free, slammed the emergency isolation button, and the room went dark.
The magnetic lock released with a heavy click.
Maya heard footsteps.
A crash.
Then Victor’s voice disappeared into the corridor.
The investigator helped her up.
“You okay?”
“I think so.”
Her watch screen was cracked.
But still recording.
They hurried back toward the elevators.
Nothing moved.
Victor had disabled them.
“Stairs,” Maya said.
They ran up one floor.
When they reached forty-two, the boardroom doors were closed.
Inside, hands were already raised.
May you like
The vote had begun.
