Chapter 17
SIMONE
The drive to LaCroix Petroleum headquarters is quiet. Luc drives, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh, grounding me and reminding me I'm not walking into this alone.
The media presence has only intensified. News vans line the street outside the building. Reporters surge forward when they see the SUV, cameras rolling, microphones extended. Luc's security team blocks them with the follow vehicle while we pull into the underground garage.
Henry's waiting by the elevator. He looks like he hasn't slept, but his suit is pressed and his briefcase is in hand.
"Simone." He extends his hand. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
Luc walks me to the elevator, stops just before the doors. His hand settles on the back of my neck, possessive and firm. "Go remind them who's in charge."
"I will."
He steps back but follows us into the elevator. We ride up in silence, Luc at my back.
Henry breaks the silence. "The board is already assembled. Full attendance. Patricia arrived early, been working the room. She's making her play to undermine you."
"Of course she did."
"Ryan Murphy is here. He's agreed to speak on your behalf as a professional reference. Luc will speak as well. I also have statements from business associates and industry partners attesting to your leadership and professional conduct."
The elevator doors open onto the executive floor. It's my floor. The one I've walked a thousand times as CEO of this company my father built.
We head to the boardroom. The double doors are closed, but I can hear voices inside. The full board, assembled to challenge my leadership.
Henry pauses before opening the doors. "Remember, this is about your competence as CEO, not your personal life. Keep the focus on your professional record."
"I know."
Luc's voice comes from behind me, low and steady. "You've done nothing wrong. Walk in there like you own the place." A pause. "You do."
Henry opens the doors.
The boardroom falls silent as I enter. The full board turns toward me. Chair Richard Voss sits at the head of the table. Patricia sits to his right, ready to exploit any weakness she can find. The rest of the board fills the remaining seats.
Some of them won't meet my eyes. Walter Brandt looks at his notes. Margaret Sullivan focuses on her water glass. They've all seen the footage. They've all watched me in Dominion's private rooms and they can't reconcile this with the CEO who runs their board meetings.
I take my seat at the opposite end of the table from Voss. The CEO's chair. It's my chair. Luc takes up a position against the wall behind me, silent and watchful. Henry sits to my right.
"Thank you all for being here," Voss begins.
His tone is formal, measured. "This emergency session has been called to address concerns regarding Simone LaCroix's leadership of LaCroix Petroleum.
Recent events have brought significant media attention to this company.
The board has received numerous inquiries from investors, partners, and stakeholders expressing concern about the company's reputation and direction. "
I'm sure they have.
"Mr. Castellanos, you've requested the opportunity to address the board on Ms. LaCroix's behalf."
Henry stands. "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the board, I'll be brief.
The facts are straightforward. Simone LaCroix was the victim of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by her uncle, Armand Deveraux.
The FBI has confirmed this through their investigation, which resulted in federal charges including illegal surveillance, wire fraud, conspiracy, and accessory to kidnapping. "
He pulls up documentation on the screen at the end of the room: FBI press conference footage, arrest records, federal criminal complaint.
"The surveillance footage that surfaced was illegally obtained evidence from a federal criminal case.
Someone with access to that evidence leaked it to damage Ms. LaCroix immediately before this meeting.
That leak is itself potentially criminal.
But more importantly, it proves the point: Ms. LaCroix did not engage in any illegal activity.
She did not compromise company security or resources.
She was targeted, stalked, and violated in an attempt to undermine her leadership of this company.
The exposure of her private life was not the result of poor judgment but of criminal action by a family member who wanted control of this company. "
Henry advances to the next slide. Financial data. Revenue growth. Acquisition success rates.
"During Ms. LaCroix's tenure as CEO, this company has doubled its revenue through aggressive expansion and strategic acquisitions. Our operational performance has been strong. By every measurable metric, Ms. LaCroix has exceeded expectations in this role."
He pauses before continuing.
"The question before this board is simple: are we measuring competence by professional results, or by private consensual choices that have no bearing on job performance? Because if we're abandoning Ms. LaCroix over being victimized, we're completing the attack her uncle started."
Voss clears his throat. "Thank you, Mr. Castellanos. Are there others who wish to speak on this matter?"
The door opens. Ryan Murphy enters and takes the seat Henry indicates.
"Ryan Murphy," Voss says. "You're here to speak on Ms. LaCroix's behalf?"
"I am." Ryan's voice is steady, authoritative.
"I've worked with Simone on multiple acquisitions and joint ventures over the past several years.
Her strategic vision and execution have been flawless.
The expansion into the Gulf that doubled LaCroix Petroleum's production capacity?
That was her initiative, her negotiation, her leadership.
She's one of the sharpest minds in this industry. "
Patricia speaks up. "Mr. Murphy, you've benefited financially from those joint ventures with Ms. LaCroix. Doesn't that create a bias in your testimony?"
"No more than your ambition to replace her creates a bias in your judgment," Ryan says evenly. "I'm speaking to professional competence, not personal loyalty. And by any metric that matters in this industry, Simone LaCroix delivers results."
Ryan leaves. Henry gestures toward the back of the room. "Luc Pascal has also agreed to speak."
Luc doesn't move from his position behind me.
His voice carries across the boardroom, flat and matter-of-fact.
"I worked wildcatter rigs in the Gulf before I moved into security.
Simone LaCroix has the best instincts I've seen for reading field ops and making calls under pressure.
She knows this business inside out. What happened to her was criminal.
It has nothing to do with her ability to run this company. "
He stops. Doesn't elaborate. The room is silent for a moment.
Voss clears his throat. "Thank you, Mr. Pascal."
Henry presents statements from business partners, industry colleagues, and professional associates. All of them attest to my competence, my leadership, my results.
When the character witnesses are done, Voss turns to the board. "Are there concerns board members wish to raise?"
Walter Brandt leans forward. He's been on this board since my father's time, conservative and traditional.
He still won't look directly at me. "Ms. LaCroix, I don't question your professional competence.
Your record speaks for itself. But leadership isn't just about numbers.
It's about judgment. Discretion. The choices you make reflect on this company. "
"What choices are you referring to?" I keep my voice steady.
"The footage that went live." He doesn't look comfortable saying it. People shift in their seats. "Your involvement in that club. The lifestyle you've chosen. It's public knowledge now. That affects how investors and partners view this company."
They all watched it. They all saw the edited photos of me that violate every assumption they held about their CEO.
"I was stalked and violated. That's not a choice I made. That's a crime someone committed against me."
Another board member speaks up. Margaret Sullivan. "But the lifestyle itself is a choice. And now it's public. The footage shows activities that most of our investors and partners would find... unconventional. We have to consider how that impacts our reputation."
"My private, consensual activities have no bearing on my ability to lead this company. If you're suggesting otherwise, you're saying my competence as CEO depends on conforming to your personal moral standards rather than delivering professional results."
Patricia's voice cuts in, smooth and sympathetic. "Simone, no one is questioning your competence. We're concerned about optics. About perception. The board has a fiduciary duty to protect this company's interests. Right now, the media attention is damaging our reputation."
"Then the board should be addressing the media narrative, not questioning my leadership."
"No one is questioning your leadership," Patricia says. "We're asking whether this board can continue to function effectively under these circumstances. Whether some of us stepping aside might be better for the company."
"Stepping aside." I let the word hang there. "You mean resigning in protest."
"That's not what I'm suggesting."
"Isn't it?" I stand. The boardroom goes quiet.
"Let me be clear about what's actually happening here.
My uncle orchestrated a criminal conspiracy to destroy me so he could take control of this company.
He failed. The FBI arrested him. He's facing federal charges.
I won. But now some of you want to finish what he started by abandoning ship and creating a public spectacle. "
I move around the table, commanding the room the way I've commanded it for years.