Chapter 14: The Vote Against Leah
By morning, the story had reached the media.
An anonymous source sent the forged Nora Ellis documents to three major news networks.
The headlines were immediate.
COURAGE FUND ACCUSED OF EXPOSING WHISTLEBLOWER.
LEAH BENNETT’S SIGNATURE FOUND ON SECRET PAYMENT.
ASHFORD CHARITY MAY HAVE FUNDED PRIVATE SURVEILLANCE.
Reporters gathered outside the foundation’s offices and Grace’s apartment.
Mara remained unconscious in the hospital.
Silas Ward remained in critical condition.
Nora Ellis was still missing.
The Ashford Holdings board called an emergency meeting.
Leah entered the boardroom beside Adrian.
Twelve directors sat around the polished table.
Graham Voss, the company’s senior independent director, sat at the far end. He was a broad-shouldered man in his sixties who had served on the board since Julian Ashford’s time.
A gold ring with a black stone rested on his right hand.
Leah noticed it immediately.
So did Eleanor.
Graham folded his hands.
“Until this investigation is complete, the board must protect the company.”
“The Courage Fund is independent,” Leah said.
“It receives Ashford funding, office space, and legal resources.”
“It also protects Ashford workers from people like you.”
Several directors shifted in their seats.
Graham smiled slightly.
“This is not the ballroom, Ms. Bennett. Speeches will not change the evidence.”
“The evidence is forged.”
“Then you should welcome a temporary suspension.”
Adrian placed both hands on the table.
“No employee cases will be frozen. People are depending on those services.”
Graham turned to him.
“Your personal relationship with Ms. Bennett creates a conflict.”
“My relationship has nothing to do with this.”
“Then you will have no objection to removing yourself from the vote.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
The board proposed three actions.
Freeze Courage Fund accounts.
Suspend Leah as executive director.
Remove Adrian from oversight of the investigation.
The vote began.
Five directors supported the proposal.
Four opposed it.
Two abstained.
Only Eleanor remained.
Leah expected her to vote against the suspension.
Eleanor looked directly at her.
“I vote in favor.”
Adrian pushed back his chair.
“Mother.”
The proposal passed.
Leah felt betrayed, but Eleanor’s expression remained calm.
Security officers entered the room.
“Ms. Bennett,” Graham said, “your access to all Ashford properties is suspended immediately.”
Leah removed her identification card and placed it on the table.
“You think taking away a badge takes away my voice?”
“No,” Graham replied. “I think the criminal investigation may do that.”
As Leah walked toward the door, Eleanor spoke.
“Leah.”
She turned.
Eleanor held up her grammar notebook.
It appeared ordinary.
But beneath the table, her other hand pointed toward the notebook’s spine.
A hidden compartment.
Leah understood.
The vote had been a performance.
Outside the building, reporters surrounded her.
Questions struck from every direction.
“Did you leak Nora Ellis’s address?”
“Are you resigning?”
“Were Courage Fund donations misused?”
Leah said nothing.
Then a large screen across the street changed.
A video began playing.
It showed Leah in a hotel lobby accepting a thick envelope of cash from Silas Ward.
The image was clear.
Her face.
Her voice.
Her clothes.
The date displayed in the corner was the night Nora disappeared.
May you like
Leah had never been in that hotel.
But to everyone watching, the woman on the screen was unmistakably her.
