Chapter 8 - The Boardroom AmbushAt 9:15 AM the following morning, the glass-and-steel skyscraper housing Carter Enterprises was bustling with morning energy.
Inside the grand executive conference room on the twelfth floor, Scott sat at the head of a long glass table, wearing a bespoke Italian suit. Beside him sat Vanessa, sipping an iced latte, and across from them sat Richard Vance, adjusting his silk tie with a look of supreme self-satisfaction.
On the table between them laid the 50-page settlement document that would strip me of my rights forever.
The double frosted-glass doors pushed open.
Scott didn't even stand up. He leaned back in his leather chair, crossing his arms with a smug, dismissive grin. "Look who decided to show up. I see you managed to wash off the rain, Diane."
Vanessa giggled quietly into her coffee cup. "Did you bring that hideous vintage suitcase with you, sweetie? Or did you leave it in whatever ditch you slept in?"
Richard Vance slid a pen across the glass table toward me. "Let’s keep this professional, everyone. Diane, sit down. Read pages 12 and 18, then sign where the yellow sticky notes are. Once you do, I’ll have the cashier’s check for $50,000 wired to your account."
I didn't sit down. I stood at the foot of the table, holding Lily in her carrier, staring at the three of them with complete, icy calm.
"I have a question before I sign, Richard," I said softly.
Scott sighed loudly, rolling his eyes. "For God's sake, Diane, don't start crying now. You lost. Sign the papers and get out so we can get back to real work."
"My question," I continued, ignoring Scott entirely, "is whether an attorney can legally represent a client while actively conspiring with her husband to embezzle $4 million into Cayman shell accounts."
The room went dead silent.
Richard Vance’s hand froze mid-air over his leather notepad. The smug grin on Scott’s face faltered slightly.
"What... what are you talking about?" Richard stammered, trying to maintain his composure. "That’s absurd—"
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"And my second question," I said, stepping aside as the frosted glass doors swung open once more, "is how a minority shareholder plans to conduct business when the 51% majority owner revokes his authority."
Victoria Sterling stepped into the room, flanked by two armed Cook County Sheriff's deputies and a team of four forensic accountants carrying black laptops and steel document cases.
