The evidence was undeniable, laid out in black and white on the mahogany wood.

“This is a major liability,” Arthur said, his voice trembling with anger. “If the press gets hold of this, our stock will plummet by fifty percent before the closing bell.”

“It’s worse than that, Arthur,” I said. “It’s criminal fraud.”

Preston stared at the documents, then at me, his eyes dark with a mixture of rage and fear.

He realized he had lost the board.

The legacy members who had protected him for years were now looking at him like he was a contagion.

“I want a recess,” Preston said hoarsely, pulling at his collar. “We need to verify these documents independently.”

“There will be no recess,” Arthur said, standing up. “We are convening an emergency vote to strip you of your executive powers, effective immediately.”

Preston looked at Samantha, but she was already looking at the door, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

“This meeting is adjourned for ten minutes while we consult with legal counsel,” Arthur announced, gesturing for the other board members to follow him into the adjacent office.