Chapter 9
Claire walked into the boardroom, flanked by Marcus Vance. She wore a sharp, tailored white suit, her hair pulled back tightly. Every eye in the room locked onto her.
"I apologize for the interruption, gentlemen," Claire said, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "But as the representative of the Bennett family trust, I believe I have a seat at this table."
"Claire, this is a closed meeting," Julian said, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.
"Not anymore," Claire said, taking an empty chair near the center. Marcus stood behind her. "I hear we're discussing my husband's fitness for leadership."
Vincent stared at her, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Claire, what are you doing?"
"I'm protecting my investments," she said without looking at him. She turned to the board. "My family is aware of the situation. We are not pulling our proxy votes. In fact, I am consolidating them."
Julian smiled triumphantly. "You see, gentlemen? The Bennett family stands with the company. Claire, I appreciate your maturity in backing my return to the CEO position."
"I didn't say I was backing you, Julian," Claire corrected, her voice turning to ice.
May you like
The smile dropped from Julian's face. "Excuse me?"
"I have reviewed the Vanguard merger," Claire announced, placing a thick folder on the table. "And I've reviewed the internal audits from the past five years. If Julian Moretti takes the CEO position, the Bennett family will liquidate all assets and trigger a hostile takeover."
