Chapter 15 – The Vote
The board convened emergency session three days later.
Reginald in person, cane tapping the marble like a war drum.
Victor on video from his Hamptons house, smug.
Alex physically present—first time in the executive floor since his return.
They tabled the motion before I even sat down.
Removal of Victoria Harrington as CEO.
Vote of no confidence.
Marcus Hale attended as major partner.
He didn’t speak at first.
Just watched.
Reginald spoke for twenty minutes.
Family legacy.
Betrayal of trust.
The leaked bids as final proof of incompetence.
Victor added financial projections—how shares would rebound under “new leadership.”
Alex sat silent.
Eyes on the table.
When they called the vote, it was close.
Forty-eight percent against me.
Fifty-two for.
I stood.
No drama.
No defense.
“Thank you for your time,” I said.
I walked out.
The headlines that night called it a coup.
Harrington Empire Falls to Family Revolt.
I didn’t correct them.
I poured a glass of wine.
Sat on the terrace.
Watched the storm roll in over the Hudson.
Sophia found me there.
“They actually did it.”
“They did,” I said.
She sat beside me.
“What now?”
I sipped.
“Now we wait.”