Chapter 14
The glass-walled boardroom on the forty-second floor was filled with anxious board members when Beatrice entered.
Dante took a seat at the far end of the long mahogany table, playing the role of silent observer.
Beatrice walked straight to the head of the table—the seat Charles Wilkes had occupied for over a decade.
She placed her leather folder onto the glass surface with a heavy thud that made everyone jump.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” Beatrice began, resting her hands on the table.
“As the owner of forty percent of the firm’s voting shares, I am calling this meeting to order.”
The senior partners nodded nervously, eager to distance themselves from the fallen executives.
“We have already reviewed the transfer documents, Miss Gallagher,” the lead partner spoke up quickly.
“The board fully supports your appointment as Interim Chief Executive Officer.”
“It won't be interim,” Beatrice corrected him smoothly. “It will be permanent.”
She opened her laptop and projected a complex organizational chart onto the large wall screens.
“Effective immediately, all client accounts will undergo a mandatory third-party forensic audit.”
“Any executive found complicit in hiding discrepancies will be terminated without severance and reported to the SEC.”
The board members exchanged nervous glances, but nobody dared to object.
They knew she had Dante Moretti’s backing, and more importantly, she had the data to destroy any one of them.
“Now, regarding our hospitality portfolio,” Beatrice continued, looking directly at the head of acquisitions.
“We are absorbing the management of the Halcyon Crown Hotel group under new ownership terms.”
“New ownership?” a partner asked. “Who owns the hotel now?”
Dante leaned forward slightly, his dark eyes sweeping over the room.
“Moretti Holdings and Beatrice Gallagher,” Dante declared smoothly. “Fifty-fifty.”
Beatrice looked at Dante in surprise; they hadn't discussed sharing ownership of the hotel.
He gave her a subtle, knowing nod, letting her know that this was her reward for her bravery.
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She was no longer just an employee or a shareholder.
She was an empire builder.
