Chapter 8: The Vote

On Monday morning, I walked into the boardroom at DePeyster Harbor as Stefano's guest.

My family's fund was the company's largest guarantor, and its trustee had a right to sit in on any vote that touched the guarantee.

The trustee was Stefano.

"Remember," he whispered in the elevator, "smile like you own the building."

"I don't own the building."

"No, but your mother is thinking about it."

The elevator reached the executive floor without incident.

I checked the ceiling anyway.

Seven directors sat around a long glass table.

Dominic took the chair at the head, with a printed agenda squared in front of him.

Colette sat at his right hand in a cream suit, with the emerald on her left hand turned toward the light.

Tobias sat at the far end.

He had shaved, and he wore a grey suit, and he looked at me once when I came in and then looked down at the table.

Dominic's smile flickered when he saw me.

Then it settled.

"Allegra. This is a closed meeting."

"I'm here for the Bellandi fund, which guarantees your largest loan," Stefano said, pulling out a chair for me. "Page four of your own agenda."

Dominic opened the agenda to page four.

I watched his thumb stop on it.

"Fine. Stay quiet," he said.

"We will," Stefano said, and he winked at me.

The meeting started with a motion.

Dominic read it aloud, and it was exactly as he had promised in the church.

A vote to remove Tobias DePeyster as chief executive, effective at once.

A director near the window cleared his throat. "Who is moving this?"

"Colette Prewitt, as the holder of thirty-eight percent," Dominic said. "I'll second."

Colette folded her hands.

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