Vanessa recognized her immediately.
“Mr. Keller? Ms. Ruiz?”
Thomas Keller represented our uncle Stephen, who owned nine percent of Harrington Supply.
Elena Ruiz represented the trust controlling another twenty-two percent.
For years, Dad had controlled both through intimidation and misinformation.
Not anymore.
Keller placed a signed proxy agreement on the table.
Ruiz set another beside it.
Twenty percent plus nine percent plus twenty-two percent.
Fifty-one.
Dad understood before Vanessa did.
His knees seemed to weaken.
“No.”
I spoke softly.
“As of this morning, I represent the voting majority.”
Vanessa stared at Dad.
“Tell me she’s lying.”
He couldn’t.
I looked around the table.
“These agreements don’t make me owner of everyone’s shares. They authorize me to vote them for the emergency shareholder meeting tomorrow.”
Dad’s voice cracked.
“You wouldn’t remove me from my own company.”
“Our grandfather’s company.”
His expression shifted.
For one second, something almost human appeared beneath the arrogance.
Fear.
Then rage swallowed it.
“I built that business!”
“You stole from it.”
“I kept this family alive!”
“You used the company like your personal bank account.”
Vanessa rushed toward me.
“And what happens to me?”
I looked at Martin.
He answered.
“The forensic report identifies approximately $417,000 in payments connected to entities controlled by you.”
Vanessa fell silent.
Her husband slowly moved his chair away from her.
