Chapter 6 - The Boardroom BattleThe emergency board meeting began at nine in the morning.
Everyone arrived early.
Nobody wanted to be late.
Because everyone knew this was not a normal meeting.
This was history.
The members of the board sat around the long table.
Some had been there for decades.
Some had joined recently.
But all of them understood one thing.
Crestwood Holdings was standing at a crossroads.
Audrey entered last.
Not because she wanted attention.
But because she had learned something important.
Real power does not announce itself.
It arrives quietly.
She placed a folder on the table.
“Good morning.”
Everyone stood.
She noticed.
And this time,
she understood why.
Not because they feared her.
Because they respected her.
“Today,” Audrey began,
“we decide what kind of company Crestwood becomes.”
She opened the folder.
“For five years, this company was slowly damaged from within.”
The screen behind her displayed documents.
Payments.
Contracts.
Connections.
Names.
The room became silent.
One board member whispered,
“This is worse than we thought.”
Audrey nodded.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“But it is not too late.”
Then the doors opened.
Everyone turned.
Dominic walked in.
For a moment,
he looked like the old Dominic.
The expensive suit.
The confident walk.
The controlled expression.
But Audrey noticed something.
His eyes.
They were different.
He was scared.
“I wasn’t invited.”
Audrey looked at him.
“You are here because the board requested your presence.”
He smiled.
“You still need me.”
Nobody responded.
The silence was his answer.
Dominic looked around.
“This company needs someone experienced.”
A board member finally spoke.
“Mr. Vance.”
Dominic turned.
“You are the reason we need this investigation.”
His face changed.
“You’re choosing her?”
The board member answered,
“We are choosing Crestwood.”
Those words broke the final piece of his confidence.
Because Dominic always believed everything was about him.
He never imagined people could choose something bigger.
The meeting continued for hours.
Every accusation.
Every defense.
Every explanation.
At the end,
the decision was clear.
Dominic Vance was permanently removed from all company positions.
His family members were terminated.
All contracts connected to them were cancelled.
Legal action would continue.
Audrey signed the final document.
Dominic watched.
Then whispered,
“You really did it.”
Audrey looked at him.
“No.”
May you like
She closed the folder.
“You did.”
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