“Richard,” Mrs. Vance said, her voice cold. “Take a seat.”

“I will not take a seat in my own boardroom,” Richard said.

He walked toward the table, his steps heavy on the carpet.

“You have no authority to call a session without my presence.”

“Actually, we do,” Mr. Hayes said.

“Under Article Nine, in the event of suspected corporate malfeasance by the Chair, the board may convene immediately.”

“This is a joke,” Richard said, pointing a finger at Hayes.

“You are an employee of this family, Hayes. I hired you.”

“My loyalty is to the Whitmore estate, Richard,” Hayes replied. “Not to you.”

“And the estate has been compromised.”

Richard looked at Nathan.

“Nathan, tell them to stop this,” Richard said.

“She is lying to you,” Richard added, pointing at me.

“She wanted your money from the start.”

“She fabricated the child’s records.”

“I did it to protect you from her.”

Nathan stood up slowly.

He was taller than his father, and in the bright lights of the boardroom, the resemblance was striking.

But Nathan’s eyes held none of his father’s anger.

They held only disappointment.