Chapter 14 - THE BOARD VOTE
It did not.
Isabella joined by video from the hospital.
"She has no place here."
Jonah placed the DNA branch petition on the table.
"She owns seven percent."
Rosa did not sit.
"I don't want your chair."
"I want the record corrected."
Marco presented the fertility evidence.
Forged consent.
False maternity.
Trust transfers.
Beatriz's confession.
Leon Mendez's records.
Then the Javier messages.
Three directors stood up and left before federal agents could enter.
They did not get far.
Carmen's allies proposed removing Marco for exposing confidential family matters.
"They were crimes."
A director snapped, "The market does not care about your morality."
"Workers care when your morality falls on them."
Silence.
The vote failed.
Then Rosa exercised her seven percent.
First action.
She supported a resolution transferring family trust administration to an independent fiduciary.
Second.
Full audit of all domestic employee contracts and medical settlements.
Third.
Create a consent-remediation fund using recovered trust money.
"You think you can walk in from the kitchen and run a company?"
"No."
"That's why I'm voting for professionals."
The independent committee removed Carmen from all trust roles.
Not from the family.
Law could not do that.
But power shifted.
After the meeting, Carmen cornered Marco.
"Everything I did was for you."
"No."
"It was."
"You never asked what I wanted."
"You wanted a family."
"I wanted one built on consent."
Carmen's face hardened.
"You sound like your father."
Then peace.
"Good."
Before Carmen could answer, Brooks arrived.
"We have the toxicology review on Javier."
The old preserved blood sample showed a drug level far above therapeutic range.
Cause of death amended.
Not natural cardiac arrest.
Drug-induced arrhythmia.
Homicide investigation.
"Beatriz says you ordered him sedated."
Carmen whispered, "Not killed."
Brooks replied, "You can explain the difference to a jury."
Then Marco's phone rang.
May you like
Hospital again.
Isabella was in labor.
