The Surgeon He Betrayed Now Belongs to a CEO novel · Chapter 15 of 24

Chapter 15: Five Hands

The nine leather chairs were full at nine, and my grandfather had brought the three he had promised.

Declan sat at the far end with no paper in front of him this time.

Desmond sat on the long side in his white coat, and he looked as though he had not slept.

"I move to void the Maddox contract," my grandfather said, "on the ground that the chief's chair was handed to a surgeon who abandoned this hospital, and that the board was not given time to consider it."

"Seconded," said the man beside him.

"Mr. Maddox," the chairwoman said. "Do you wish to respond?"

Declan stood.

"I'll be short. If this board voids the contract, I withdraw the centennial financing today. The gala is paid for with my money. So are the new trauma wing and the salaries in it."

Nobody spoke.

"I'm not threatening you," he said. "I'm telling you what I'll do."

He sat down.

"Show of hands," the chairwoman said. "To void."

My grandfather's hand went up, then the two he had called, then two more that had been mine a week ago.

Five hands for voiding, and three against.

Desmond's hands stayed on the table.

I stood by the wall with my father's letter in my coat pocket and counted them twice.

"Dr. Vaughan," the chairwoman said. "You may speak, if you wish."

I walked to the middle of the room.

I had planned a speech in the car, with numbers in it, and I found I didn't want it.

"My grandfather told this board in this room that my father left me nothing," I said. "He believed it. He was wrong."

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