CHAPTER 2 : The Fifty-One Percent
The ballroom remained silent except for the faint hum of the emergency lights.
Victoria stared at the screen as though the words might rearrange themselves.
They did not.
IRREVOCABLE TRANSFER OF CONTROLLING SHARES.
BENEFICIARY: CLAIRE ELIZABETH ASHFORD.
TOTAL OWNERSHIP: 51%.
Adrian Ashford, Daniel’s younger brother and the acting chief executive, pushed through the crowd.
“This is fraudulent.”
Claire stood, keeping one hand on Noah’s shoulder.
“No. It was signed eighteen months ago.”
“Daniel would never transfer the company to you.”
“He did not transfer it to me.”
Claire pointed toward the final paragraph.
“He transferred it to a trust. I became controlling trustee after his death.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“You knew?”
“I learned about it six weeks ago.”
The ballroom doors opened.
Four attorneys entered, followed by federal financial auditors and the company’s head of internal security.
At the center of the group was Marcus Hale, Daniel’s longtime attorney.
Marcus approached Claire and handed her a black folder.
“The founding clause has been executed,” he said. “All executive authority is temporarily suspended pending investigation.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You cannot suspend me.”
Claire opened the folder.
“I already have.”
Several board members began checking their phones. Their expressions changed as they discovered their company access had disappeared.
Victoria moved closer to Claire.
“You think a piece of paper makes you powerful?”
“No,” Claire replied. “The evidence behind it does.”
She turned toward the guests.
“For the last three years, millions of dollars intended for children’s hospitals and housing programs have been redirected through shell companies. Someone inside Ashford Crown believed Daniel discovered the transfers.”
Victoria’s eyes flickered.
Only for a second.
But Claire saw it.
“So that is why you came,” Victoria said.
“I came because Daniel left me a message.”
A murmur moved through the crowd.
Claire took out a small silver flash drive.
“It was delivered to my home yesterday. The envelope contained his handwriting.”
Adrian laughed.
“My brother has been gone for nearly a year.”
“I know.”
Claire inserted the drive into the stage computer.
The screen went black.
A video began.
Daniel Ashford appeared, sitting in an office with no windows. His face was pale, and a clock behind him showed a date eight days before his disappearance.
“Claire,” he said, staring directly into the camera. “If you are watching this, the board has already removed you.”
Victoria took one slow step backward.
Daniel continued.
“Do not trust anyone who claims they were with me on my final night. Especially my mother.”
Every eye turned toward Victoria.
But before Daniel could say more, the video suddenly stopped.
A red warning appeared.
FILE REMOTELY DELETED.
Marcus grabbed the computer.
“Someone accessed the system.”
The ballroom erupted into confusion.
Then Noah tugged Claire’s dress.
“Mom?”
Claire bent down.
“What is it?”
Noah pointed toward the upper balcony.
A man in a dark suit had been watching them.
His face was partly hidden in shadow.
Noah whispered, “That’s the man who came to my school.”
Before Claire could call security, the stranger turned and disappeared through a side door.
May you like
Noah looked up at her with frightened eyes.
“He told me Dad is still alive.”
