Chapter 16 - The Hearing Before the Vote
The courtroom was smaller than Ethan expected.
No chandeliers.
No boardroom glass.
No Callahan portraits staring down from the walls.
Grant sat behind three attorneys.
Celeste sat beside him.
Vivian did not appear.
Nora sat with Rachel near the back.
The family's argument was simple.
He had destabilized the company by releasing private material.
Therefore, the court should recognize the temporary trustee amendment long enough for Celeste to exercise Sophie's shares at the board meeting.
Rachel stood.
"Your Honor, the amendment is forged."
Opposing counsel objected.
The judge raised one hand.
"You'd better have more than a theory, Ms. Kim."
Rachel did.
A forensic document examiner testified that Ethan's signature was digitally reproduced from a prior shareholder agreement.
Then came the St. Anne's lab report.
Then the independent fiduciary paperwork Lillian had signed removing Celeste and Vivian from future trustee authority.
Then Miles Benton.
The courtroom shifted when he entered.
Grant stared at him with open hatred.
Miles admitted intercepting Nora's reports.
Admitted planting cash.
Admitted deleting footage.
"Who instructed you?" Rachel asked.
"Mr. Rourke for the documents. Mrs. Celeste Callahan for the bracelet. Mr. Grant Callahan approved the payment."
Celeste whispered something to her lawyer.
Grant never moved.
"And Vivian Callahan?"
Miles swallowed.
"She knew Nora was being removed."
"How do you know?"
"Because she told me not to make a scene in front of Sophie when police came."
Nora closed her eyes.
That sentence took her back to the rain.
The cuffs.
Sophie's bare feet on wet stone.
The judge recessed for twenty minutes.
When she returned, her ruling took less than five.
The temporary amendment was suspended.
Celeste would not exercise Sophie's shares.
An independent fiduciary would protect them pending investigation.
Ethan exhaled.
Grant leaned toward him as people stood.
"You think this changes the board vote?"
Ethan turned.
Grant smiled.
"I don't need Sophie's shares anymore."
Ethan's stomach tightened.
"What did you do?"
Grant buttoned his jacket.
"I found another seventeen percent."
At that exact moment, Ethan's phone exploded with notifications.
CALLAHAN HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES SURPRISE SHARE PURCHASE BY NORTHSTAR CAPITAL.
Rachel read the filing.
Her face changed.
"Ethan."
"What?"
She turned the screen toward him.
May you like
Northstar Capital's beneficial owner had just been disclosed.
Malcolm Rourke.
