Chapter 7 - The Final Audit
By Monday afternoon, the corporate takeover of Thorne Industries was complete.
The board of directors had convened an emergency session at Whitaker Tower, flying in private jets from across the country once they realized the true identity of the primary estate trustee. When I walked into the grand boardroom on the 35th floor, twelve powerful men and women—people who had previously treated me like a silent accessory trailing behind Grayson—stood up in absolute, reverent silence.
"Welcome, Madam Chair," the senior managing director, Arthur Vance, said respectfully, bowing his head slightly as I took my seat at the head of the polished walnut table.
I looked around the room, meeting the eyes of the executives who had signed off on Grayson’s vanity projects for years without realizing whose money they were actually spending.
"Thank you, Arthur," I said, opening the heavy leather-bound portfolio before me. "Let’s begin the audit of the Thorne subsidiary accounts. I want every single misappropriated asset traced, reclaimed, and liquidated by close of business today."
"Yes, Madam Chair. What about Grayson Thorne and his mother?"
I paused for a fraction of a second, remembering the way Eleanor had looked at me in the grand ballroom, clutching her pearls and whispering about my humble origins.
"Leave them their personal clothing and their primary vehicle," I instructed calmly. "Reclaim the house, the vacation home in Aspen, the country club memberships, and every single cent of corporate salary paid to Grayson over the last three years under false pretenses of executive competence."
May you like
"And the legal charges?" Arthur asked, pen poised over his ledger.
"File them all," I said without a trace of hesitation. "Fraud, embezzlement, and securities misrepresentation. Let the courts decide if they still believe they belong in high society."
