Chapter 3 - The Board's Arrival
The corporate strategy session was scheduled for nine o'clock the next morning. A massive digital projector had been set up in front of the stone fireplace. The employees sat in neat rows of folding chairs, holding cups of coffee, waiting for Graham to deliver his quarterly address.
Graham stood at the podium in a crisp navy suit. Chloe sat dead center in the front row, crossing her legs, holding a sleek tablet.
"This quarter is about maximizing our operational efficiency," Graham began, clicking a remote to bring up his first slide. "We need to trim the excess fat from our operational budgets and ensure every single dollar serves the company's bottom line."
Before he could transition to his next point, the heavy oak front doors of the lodge swung violently open.
The freezing mountain air rushed into the great room, followed immediately by Arthur Sterling. My grandfather’s attorney did not come alone. He was flanked by two senior forensic auditors in gray suits and three uniformed deputies from the local sheriff's department.
The entire room turned. The projector hummed in the absolute silence.
"Excuse me," Graham snapped, gripping the edges of the podium, his face flushing with immediate, defensive rage. "This is a closed corporate retreat. Who authorized you to interrupt this session?"
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I stood up from my seat in the back row and walked slowly down the center aisle.
"I did, Graham," I said.
