Page 56 of A Mistake of Identity
“Fine.” She was already back to typing. “But I’m not leaving until I hear back from some people.”
Gabriel left her to her work, the steady click of her nails on the screen following him and his men out of the study. The morning light spilling through the windows reminded him how little time they had before facing his father.
The La Sauvegarde boardroom held its usual chill at 9 a.m. sharp. Gabriel sat at the head of the table, Lucas a steady presence behind his right shoulder, as Maximilien delivered his carefully rehearsed performance.
“...the company’s reputation to consider,” his father was saying, pacing with practiced agitation. “The past few weeks have shown a concerning pattern of distraction, of poor judgment.” He turned to the board members, many of whom had known him for decades. “Under my leadership, La Sauvegarde maintained certain standards and upheld traditions that have served us well for generations.”
Gabriel let him continue, watching the familiar faces around the table. Some nodded along with his father’s words. Others maintained careful neutrality. He waited untilMaximilien paused for breath before touching the tablet in front of him.
The boardroom’s screens came to life with high-resolution images. Ellis’ Mercedes. The Sentinelle Tactical teams swarming his home. Jean being dragged from the house. The company’s logo clear on their gear.
“Speaking of leadership,” Gabriel’s voice cut through his father’s sudden silence, “let’s discuss the use of company resources for personal vendettas.” He zoomed in on the Sentinelle logo. “Antoine Dufort continues to stonewall any investigation into this operation. An operation that resulted in five dead security personnel.”
He let that sink in before continuing. “You claim I’m distracted? Let’s look at the numbers.” Another tap brought up financial charts. “In the three months since Ellis entered my life, has La Sauvegarde’s growth slowed? Has our stock price fallen?” He met each board member’s eyes in turn. “No. We’ve continued the upward trajectory that began when I took over from my father, after his tenure saw us hemorrhaging money from a series of failed deals and questionable acquisitions.”
Gabriel leaned forward, his voice carrying the weight of certainty. “Many of you are my father’s friends. I respect that loyalty. But today, you have a choice to make: your pocketbooks or Maximilien’s wounded pride.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
The first response came from the far end of the table, where one of La Sauvegarde’s longest-serving board members sat. Her family had been invested in the company for three generations, and she’d never been one to let sentiment cloud her judgment.
“Five dead employees.” Her voice cut through the silence. “And the use of company security forces for a personal matter.” She turned to Maximilien, her expression hard. “Explain.”
“Marie—” Maximilien started, but she held up a hand.
“No. Not to me. To the shareholders you put at risk with this stunt. To the families of those dead men.” She gestured at the screens still showing the assault on Gabriel’s home. “We’re looking at potential lawsuits, regulatory investigations, stock price impact if this gets out.”
Other board members were nodding now, the spell of Maximilien’s performance broken by her practical concerns.
“I move to dismiss the motion regarding Gabriel’s leadership,” said another board member, leaning forward. “And I suggest we open an investigation into Sentinelle’s recent operations.”
“Seconded,” came the immediate response.
Gabriel watched his father’s face as the vote proceeded, saw the moment Maximilien realized he’d overplayed his hand. The old man’s mask of concern cracked, revealing a flash of raw fury before he could compose himself.
Maximilien stood still, that flash of fury now buried beneath a veneer of dignified disappointment. “I see.” His voice carried just the right note of paternal concern. “I hope you all remember this moment when my son’s proclivities become public knowledge.”
“Your concern for the company’s reputation would carry more weight,” Gabriel said, “if you hadn’t just used our security force to kidnap my partner in broad daylight.”
“Alleged use,” Maximilien corrected, but the words lacked conviction as the screens still displayed the damning evidence.
“This meeting is adjourned,” one of the board members announced, already gathering his papers. “The motion is dismissed. The investigation into Sentinelle will begin immediately.”
Gabriel remained seated as the board members filed out, some pausing to shake his hand, others merely nodding. His father was the last to leave, pausing at the door.
“You’ve made a grave mistake,” Maximilien said quietly.
“No, Father.” Gabriel finally looked up from the frozen image of Ellis’ Mercedes. “You have. Eight days ago. Where is he?”
“I have no idea who attacked your home.” Maximilien’s lip curled. “Though I can’t say I’m devastated by the outcome.”
Gabriel’s fists clenched at his sides. One step. That’s all it would take to reach his father.
“The investigation will reveal everything, Maximilien,” Marie de Guise cut in smoothly. “Every call, every order, every payment.”
Maximilien’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “If I had ordered such an operation, I certainly wouldn’t want to be kept informed of how they disposed of the trash.” He turned away, dismissing them all as beneath his notice. “Do let me know when you’ve finished playing CEO, Gabriel.”
Gabriel watched his father leave, his words burning in his ears like acid.
