“So was most of the last twelve years.”
Gideon ignored her.
He looked at Rowan.
“You still have time.”
“For what?”
“To avoid becoming a footnote in someone else’s family dispute.”
Rowan smiled faintly.
“My father already taught me about footnotes.”
Before Gideon could respond, the corporate secretary approached the microphone.
The room settled.
Routine business began.
Approval of prior minutes.
Audit committee report.
Election procedures.
Then:
“We have received formal notice of activated voting rights from the Mercer Preservation Trust.”
The room shifted.
Whispers.
Gideon’s face remained still.
The secretary continued.
“The trust has completed beneficiary verification.”
“Under the legacy Class B charter, its shares are entitled to full voting participation.”
She looked toward Rowan.
“Mr. Rowan Mercer is present as sole beneficial holder.”
Several heads turned.
“The Mercer trust represents the largest individual voting block represented in this room.”
Silence.
Rowan felt every eye.
His hands remained folded.
Gideon stared straight ahead.
The secretary finished.
“Mr. Mercer has submitted a motion requesting an independent special committee to investigate historical related-party transactions and executive misconduct.”
Gideon immediately stood.
“This is procedurally improper.”
Company counsel leaned toward him.
“It is not.”
Gideon looked at the lawyer.
Counsel continued quietly.
“The motion is valid.”
Gideon sat.
Rowan rose when called.
He carried no slides.
No dramatic presentation.
Just documents.
“My father’s name was Walter Mercer.”
Several older directors shifted.
They knew it.
“He worked for this company.”
“He found financial transactions he believed required investigation.”
“His concerns were dismissed.”
“His access was removed.”
“My family was threatened.”
“He preserved records.”
Rowan held up the notebook.
“This is one of them.”
Gideon leaned toward his microphone.
“A private notebook is not corporate evidence.”
Rowan looked at him.
“I agree.”
That surprised the room.
“So we did not rely on it.”
Martin Saye entered with counsel.
Behind him were boxes of authenticated records.
Rowan continued.
“The notebook gave us dates.”
“We verified the dates independently.”
“It gave us entities.”
“We verified them.”
“It identified transfers.”
“We obtained bank and audit records.”
Gideon’s expression changed.
Just slightly.
Martin presented summaries.
No one claimed criminal guilt.
No one needed to.
The numbers were enough to demand answers.
Vivian testified next.
She described the document she signed.
The threat.
Walter’s access removal.
The pressure from Gideon.
Then Elena Park submitted her handwriting analysis showing the final notebook page had been forged.
Gideon’s attorney objected.
“This proves only that someone altered the notebook.”
Rowan nodded.
“Yes.”
“Not Mr. Vale.”
“Correct.”
Gideon looked toward Rowan, almost surprised by the concession.
Rowan continued.
“But we also obtained the vault access order.”