Chapter 7: Nine A.M.
"Removal sequence?""
Richard said the words so quietly that they sounded worse than if he'd shouted them.
Laura stared at her laptop.
"I don't know what it means.""
Charles leaned over her shoulder.
"Open the file.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"It's encrypted.""
Richard looked at the line beneath his name.
NEXT: RICHARD HALE — 9:00 A.M. TOMORROW.
"Could removal mean termination?"" I asked.
Laura nodded slowly.
"Possibly. Removal from the board. Removal from management. Cancellation of ownership rights.""
"Or something worse," Charles said.
Diane laughed from across the room.
Richard turned toward her.
"What's funny?""
"You.""
"Explain.""
"You buy a company and suddenly think you understand it.""
"I own fifty-one percent of Halston Hospitality.""
Diane smiled.
"For now.""
The room went silent.
Charles stepped toward her.
"What did you do?""
"I want my attorney.""
"You were happy to talk thirty seconds ago.""
"I changed my mind.""
Officer Martinez moved between them.
"Mr. Whitmore, don't approach her.""
Charles stopped.
Richard didn't.
He remained where he was, staring at Diane.
"What happens at nine?""
She looked at him.
Nothing.
"What happens at nine, Diane?""
Still nothing.
Then Preston whispered, "The board meeting.""
Richard's eyes moved toward him.
"What board meeting?""
Preston swallowed.
"Mom mentioned it yesterday.""
Diane snapped, "Preston.""
He flinched but continued.
"She was on the phone. She said everything would be finished after the nine o'clock vote.""
Charles stared at his wife.
"There is no board vote tomorrow.""
Laura looked at him.
"Actually...""
Charles turned.
"What?""
"There is a special meeting on the calendar.""
Richard frowned.
"I never received notice.""
Laura typed rapidly.
"I didn't either.""
"Who scheduled it?""
She opened the meeting details.
Her face tightened.
"Executive office.""
"Whose?""
"Yours.""
Richard's expression went cold.
"I didn't schedule it.""
Laura rotated the laptop.
The invitation had been sent from Richard's corporate account.
Scheduled for 9:00 a.m.
Subject:
EMERGENCY GOVERNANCE REVIEW.
Attendees included the entire Halston board.
Except Richard.
Charles whispered, "Jesus.""
Richard read further.
"What's the agenda?""
Laura clicked.
A document opened.
This one wasn't encrypted.
She read silently.
Then looked at Richard.
"Temporary suspension of controlling shareholder authority pending investigation into financial misconduct.""
I stared at him.
"They're trying to remove you?""
"Temporarily," Laura said.
"If enough board members vote for emergency restrictions.""
Richard remained strangely calm.
"What financial misconduct?""
Laura scrolled.
Her eyes widened.
"Misappropriation of company funds. Undisclosed related-party transactions. Fraudulent vendor payments.""
Charles shook his head.
"Richard doesn't control vendor payments.""
"I know.""
"Then this is fabricated.""
Richard looked at Kevin.
"Like Emily's theft report.""
Kevin nodded.
"Same method.""
A false accusation.
A manufactured record.
Then removal.
I suddenly understood why the employee spreadsheet mattered.
"This wasn't just happening to servers.""
Everyone looked at me.
I pointed toward the screen.
"You practiced on us.""
Diane's expression flickered.
Richard turned toward me.
"What?""
"Think about it. Lena gets labeled a problem. Someone changes her records. She's gone.
Anthony gets labeled a problem. Records change. He's gone.""
I looked at Diane.
"Nobody investigates because they're restaurant workers.""
Marcus whispered, "Jesus.""
I continued.
"If it works on people nobody powerful cares about, you learn how easy it is.""
Richard looked toward the list of names.
"And then you scale it.""
Diane's eyes narrowed at me.
"You should have stayed quiet.""
My stomach tightened.
Officer Martinez immediately turned toward her.
"Was that a threat?""
Diane smiled.
"It was advice.""
"No," I said.
"It was a threat.""
For once, my voice didn't shake.
Diane stared at me.
"You really think you're part of this now?""
"I became part of it when you hit me.""
"You spilled wine on me.""
"And somehow that led us to fake employment records, secret payments, stolen credentials, and a meeting designed to remove Richard tomorrow morning.""
I stepped closer.
"So maybe you shouldn't have slapped the waitress.""
Marcus made a sound that was almost a laugh.
Diane's face burned.
Richard looked at Laura.
"Can we cancel the meeting?""
"I can try.""
She typed.
Then stopped.
"No.""
"Why?""
"Your administrative privileges have been suspended.""
Richard pulled out his phone.
He tried logging into the corporate portal.
ACCESS DENIED.
Charles tried next.
Same result.
Laura stared at her screen.
"Someone locked both of you out.""
"When?""
"Three minutes ago.""
Kevin whispered, "M.""
Richard looked toward the kitchen door.
"The person who ran.""
Officer Martinez's radio crackled.
Her partner appeared from the corridor.
"Security cameras cover the alley.""
"Did you get a face?""
"Not yet. Building security is pulling footage.""
Diane looked almost relaxed again.
That frightened me more than her anger.
Richard noticed too.
"You knew this would happen.""
She said nothing.
Charles lowered his voice.
"Diane, whatever you've done, stop it now.""
Her eyes hardened.
"You spent twenty-two years treating me like decoration.""
"That isn't true.""
"You made every decision.""
"We built that life together.""
"No. You built it. I was expected to smile beside it.""
Preston looked devastated.
"Mom...""
Diane didn't even look at him.
Richard said, "So this is revenge against Charles?""
She laughed.
"You still think this is about my marriage.""
"What is it about?""
She glanced toward the clock.
8:17 p.m.
Then she said, "Tomorrow morning, you'll understand.""
Laura's phone rang.
She answered.
"Laura Bennett.""
Her face changed immediately.
"When?""
Everyone watched her.
"Who authorized it?""
Silence.
"No. Do not touch anything. I'm coming.""
She hung up.
Richard stepped closer.
"What happened?""
"Corporate security just called.""
"And?""
"Someone entered Halston headquarters twenty minutes ago using your access badge.""
Richard's eyes narrowed.
"My badge is in my wallet.""
He pulled it out.
Laura stared at it.
"Then someone cloned it.""
Charles asked, "What did they access?""
Laura hesitated.
"The records archive.""
"Personnel?""
"Everything.""
Richard looked toward Diane.
She smiled.
Then Laura's phone buzzed again.
A photograph arrived from security.
She opened it.
The image showed a man in a gray jacket and baseball cap walking through Halston's executive floor.
The same description Marcus had given.
But this camera had caught his face.
Charles grabbed the phone.
His entire body went rigid.
Richard saw it.
"You know him.""
Charles didn't answer.
"Charles.""
May you like
His brother looked up.
"I thought he was dead.""
