Chapter 18 - The Proxy Vote
Victoria read the acquisition offer twice.
"I never approved this."
Malcolm folded his hands.
"The trustees did."
"The trustees cannot acquire a controlled company without beneficiary consent."
"Unless the transaction is classified as protective."
Naomi cut in.
"This is not protective. It's predatory."
Malcolm looked at her bruised face.
"You have had an emotional week."
Naomi smiled coldly.
"Say that again and I'll audit your childhood."
Julian almost laughed.
Victoria did not.
The offer showed Sterling planned to acquire Vance debt through North Crown at a discount, force a default, then buy Vance Industries out of restructuring.
"You were working with Eleanor," Victoria said.
"I was working around her."
"You leaked my records."
"I gave her enough information to make her panic."
Julian stepped forward.
"My wife could have died."
"I did not tell her to attack Victoria."
"You lit the match and are complaining about the fire."
Malcolm looked at Victoria.
"Sterling needs growth. Vance is strategically valuable. You were too personally involved to make the decision."
"So you made it for me."
"I protected the trust."
Victoria's voice sharpened.
"You protected your fees."
The other trustees entered one by one.
Malcolm had called the meeting to suspend Victoria.
Instead, Naomi distributed evidence of his North Crown investment.
Conflict-of-interest disclosures he had failed to make.
Unauthorized exports of Victoria's trust records.
The fraudulent acquisition proposal.
Malcolm's confidence began to crack.
"This board cannot remove me without cause."
Victoria looked around the table.
"Then let's vote on cause."
He stared at her.
"You don't have the proxies."
She opened her bag.
"Actually, I do."
During the night, three independent trustees had assigned their votes to Victoria after reviewing Naomi's evidence.
Malcolm stood.
"This meeting is adjourned."
"Sit down."
The words came from an elderly trustee named Ruth Sterling, Malcolm's own aunt.
He froze.
Ruth looked disgusted.
"I spent forty years protecting this family from men who thought access meant ownership. I will not watch another one do it."
The vote was seven to two.
Malcolm was removed as managing trustee.
Security entered.
As they escorted him out, he stopped beside Victoria.
"You think this ends with Eleanor and me?"
Victoria met his eyes.
"Doesn't it?"
He smiled.
"Ask Julian who authorized the original North Crown account."
Julian went still.
Victoria looked at him.
"What is he talking about?"
Julian said nothing.
May you like
Malcolm's smile widened.
"He knows."
