Mark Bell sat near the back of the room, looking through a folder of papers.

When Mark saw me enter the room, his smile faded.

He stood up and walked quickly toward the door, intercepting us just inside the threshold.

“Victoria, what are you doing here?” Mark whispered, his voice low and sharp. “This is a private board meeting.”

“I’m here as a member of the nursing staff, Mark,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “And as a representative of the hospital’s donor integrity committee.”

“You don’t belong here,” Mark said, his eyes shifting to Daniel. “And who is this?”

“This is Daniel Morrison,” Daniel said, stepping forward. “My family has been a major contributor to the Harborview pediatric wing for twenty years.”

James Hendricks noticed the commotion and walked over, his expression one of mild amusement.

“Victoria,” James said, crossing his arms. “I thought we agreed that your presence here was no longer necessary after our last conversation.”

“You agreed, James,” I said. “I didn’t.”

Dr. Sterling cleared his throat from the head of the table.

“Is there a problem, gentlemen?” Dr. Sterling asked.