Page 132 of Collateral Damage
Vale glares. “I’m twice the man he was. I don’t cheat and lie and endanger others.”
The room goes silent.
Vale turns his attention to the other board members. “As I have emphasized, this wasn’t me. Maybe it was my nephew—maybe he’s gunning for Sybil’s job. I don’t know the answer, and I will support an investigation. But it wasn’t me.”
So he’s going to throw his henchman under the bus. I know he’s lying. I can feel it in my bones.
“We’ll put it to a vote,” Chairwoman Crandall suggests. “All in favor of Vale staying on as interim-CEO, with our own internal investigation into this matter, say yay.”
The quiet thickens with anticipation, as one by one, the nine votes are cast. With every nay, I’m flooded with relief, but every yay makes me sick.
It’s over quickly. Five to four.
Lance will stay on.
I can’t believe it, but I remind myself this is only the beginning. Once a second investigation reveals the truth, he’ll be out for good.
My heart pounds in my ears as Vale rises to his feet, the picture of false humility. “Thank you for the confidence. I will prove my worth to this company, as I have been doing for many years.”
With that, he stomps from the room.
Mom and I lock eyes. I want nothing more than to get the hell out of here, and I can tell she feels the same. Ever the politician, she’ll stay and converse with the other board members. Diplomacy is her strong suit, and she’ll hold our family name up after this failed coup.
It’s not right. They need to get rid of Vale. He’s out to make Laurence his own and doesn’t care what he has to do to get there. Sure, it would be a pain for the board to hire someone else, but they’ve been interviewing candidates for months, so there’s bound to be someone.
This has gone on long enough.
Dad died over ayearago.
I can’t take much more of this flaky shit. All the politics and games? It’s exhausting.
What about Dad’s legacy? What about the future of my family?
I don’t wait for Mom; I’m barely paying attention when I step into the elevator, and Lance Vale slides in behind me.
He’s the picture of calm indifference as the doors close us in, and he hits the button for the ground floor, but I’m sure he’s seething inside.
“You think you’ve won something here, don’t you Sybil?” His voice is low, dangerous even.
I don’t say a word.
“I’ve been patient with you, but now I’m done. You think because you’re a Laurence you can get whatever you want? You are in for a rude awakening. You are a spoiled girl.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I snap. “I am proud to be a Laurence, and you can’t stand that I’m good at my job. Just like you can’t stand that my little brother is as brilliant and charismatic as my father was and will one day step into the role you think is yours. You’ve failed to gain the supermajority for over a year because the board wants to find someone who doesn’t play your childish games. You’re the spoiled one here.”
He chuckles. “Next time you come for me, you’d better bring more than Mommy’s vote. You made a joke out of yourself today, proving exactly why you shouldn’t be here.”
The elevator opens, and he storms out.
I don’t mind. He’s scared; Mom and I came close to toppling him down, and he knows it. The vote was only five to four in his favor, and Mom is still up there, working her magic. We may have declared war, but we’re Laurences, and we’ll be damned if we let anyone take this company away from our family.
Fifty-Six
Sybil
Present - Age 27
Cooper and I lay in bed, our bare limbs entwined, the calm silence settling between us after a frenzy of passion. The light from the lamp pools across the ceiling of my bedroom.
