Chapter 14 - An Empty Chair at the Board Table
Vivienne attended the next board meeting by video with her lawyer beside her. She denied putting anything in Lily's milk and called the financial allegations a misunderstanding between vendors.
"I loved that girl," she said. "I arranged care when everyone else was too busy."
Ethan didn't raise his voice. "Then why did the doctor listed on her treatment plan say he never authorized it?"
"I relied on professionals."
"Name them."
Her lawyer intervened. "My client will respond through the proper channels."
The board voted to remove Vivienne from any role in approving grants while investigations continued. Ethan disclosed his own failure to review the consultant bills and stepped back from direct oversight until independent controls were installed.
Afterward, he visited one of the community centers that had lost funding. A teacher showed him an empty classroom where tutoring sessions should have been running.
"We kept telling parents the next check would arrive," she said. "After a while, they stopped believing us."
Ethan didn't offer a speech. He asked what the center needed immediately and took the answer back to the board. Emergency support was approved through a separate, independently monitored account.
I heard about the visit from Rosa, who said Ethan came home carrying a stack of children's drawings. Lily chose one for the refrigerator. It showed a library with every window lit.
"Are they going to open it again?" she asked.
"They're working on it," Ethan said. "And they'll tell people if the plans change."
May you like
That night Leo reported a troubling development. Someone had tried to use an old guest credential to enter the estate's side gate.
The credential belonged to Graham.
