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The silence that followed the couple’s retreat was heavy, broken only by the distant laughter of a toddler being tossed into the air by a prospective father who wanted a healthy son. Lily didn’t cry. Crying under the oak tree was a waste of moisture, and water was precious when your throat felt as dry as the old playground sandbox. / Chapter 7 / 10

Chapter 7 - THE BETRAYAL AT THE BOARDROOMThe mahogany boardroom on the fiftieth floor of Vance Tower was suffocatingly tense.

Julian sat at the head of the long table, his expression carved from stone. Around him sat the senior executives—men and women who had ridden the coattails of his success for a decade. Standing near the projection screen was Richard Vance, holding a sleek remote control with a self-satisfied grin.

“Julian,” Richard began smoothly, addressing the room. “We all applaud your sudden paternal instincts. Truly, a heartwarming story for the tabloids. But business is business. According to Section 4 of our corporate charter, using corporate capital to fund a private foundation without a supermajority vote constitutes a breach of fiduciary duty.”

Murmurs rippled through the executives. Several board members, bought out by Richard’s secret backdoor deals, nodded in agreement.

“The audit of St. Jude’s and the subsequent multi-million-dollar renovation fund you pulled from our quarterly reserves has triggered an emergency review by our primary international investors,” Richard continued, clicking the remote. The screen lit up with financial projections showing a projected stock dip. “Unless you step down as CEO and hand over operational control of the trust to the board... we will initiate a vote of no confidence and strip you of your voting shares.”

Silence descended on the room. Richard smiled, thinking he had finally checkmated the untouchable Julian Vance.

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