Chapter 20 – The Reckoning
The conference room smelled of fresh coffee and old fear.
Directors filed in quietly.
No small talk.
No forced smiles.
They took their seats like people attending a funeral they’d helped arrange.
Alex was already there.
At the far end.
Hands folded on the table.
Eyes fixed on a single knot in the wood.
Victor’s video feed flickered to life.
His background looked dimmer than usual.
Face tighter.
Reginald was absent.
A printed proxy lay in front of his empty chair.
I sat in my old place.
Not the head.
Not yet.
The chairwoman called the meeting to order.
Voice steady, but her fingers betrayed her—tapping once on the gavel.
The motion was read.
Removal of Alexander Harrington as CEO.
Reinstatement of Victoria Harrington, subject to audit.
No debate.
No speeches.
When the vote was called, hands rose one by one.
Quick.
Certain.
Unanimous.
Alex didn’t raise his.
He didn’t look up.
Victor’s feed froze for a second.
Then cut to black.
No one commented.
The chairwoman cleared her throat.
“Motion carries.”
Silence settled.
Heavy.
Final.
I stood.
Gathered my folder—the one with the untouched photos, the unfiled paternity request.
Left it on the table.
Walked out.
In the hallway, cool air hit my face.
I paused.
Let the door click shut behind me.
For the first time in months, my shoulders dropped a fraction.
Not triumph.
Just the quiet knowledge that the board had finally seen what I’d seen all along.
They fixed it themselves.
I hadn’t needed to say a word.