Chapter 12 - The Iron ChairBack on the 42nd floor, the atmosphere inside the executive boardroom was electric with a renewed, ferocious efficiency. Gone was the bloated, superficial culture Ethan had cultivated to project an illusion of grandeur; in its place was a lean, hyper-focused machine operating under absolute clarity.
I sat at the center of the massive walnut conference table. My hair was pinned back with my mother's tortoiseshell comb, and I wore a structured charcoal blazer over my navy dress. Around the table sat the core leadership team—department heads who had survived Ethan’s regime by keeping their heads down and doing honest work.
Margaret Voss stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, clicking through a slide deck detailing the asset recovery process.
“The forensic audit of the operations division is complete,” Margaret announced, her voice crisp and authoritative. “We’ve successfully recovered ninety-four percent of the misallocated funds from the Meridian property shell accounts. Furthermore, the preliminary findings have been handed directly to the federal prosecutor's office.”
I spun my gold fountain pen gently between my fingers, looking out at the sprawling Boston harbor beneath a brilliant midday sun.
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“Make sure every department head receives the updated compliance guidelines by end of day,” I instructed calmly. “We don't build trust with slogans, Margaret. We build it with transparency.”
“Understood, Evelyn,” Margaret nodded, a rare, appreciative smile touching her lips. “The board will formally ratify your appointment as executive chairwoman at three o'clock.”
