Chapter 6 - The Return to the Boardroom
The glass doors of the executive suite on the forty-second floor of the Whitaker Financial Tower reflected the bright San Diego skyline. For fourteen months, that office had been run via encrypted video calls and proxy signatures while I played the role of the grieving, distracted widower trapped in a domestic cage.
Today, I walked through those doors wearing a tailored charcoal suit, my posture straight, my stride deliberate.
My chief operating officer, Richard Vance—no relation to Trevor, thankfully—stood up from behind his mahogany desk as I entered. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Daniel," Richard said, adjusting his glasses. "I thought you were taking the month off to settle matters down in Coronado following the... legal difficulties with your former wife."
"The legal difficulties are being handled by federal prosecutors, Richard," I replied, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking out over the harbor. "And my sabbatical is officially over."
Richard hesitated, walking over with a thick leather binder in his hands. "The board has been concerned about corporate stability. With Trevor Vance’s brokerage firm collapsing under federal racketeering charges, several institutional investors raised questions about our exposure to the Coronado real estate acquisitions."
I turned slowly, my eyes locking onto his. "Tell the board that our exposure is zero. In fact, we’ve just secured full, unencumbered title to the Coronado estate under Lily’s permanent trust, insulated by federal protective orders. Any investor who doubts our financial security is welcome to pull their capital today. I'll buy them out by sundown."
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Richard blinked, a slow, respectful smile touching the corners of his mouth. The man standing before him wasn't the broken, easily manipulated husband who used to sign documents without reading the fine print.
"Welcome back, boss," Richard said, sliding the portfolio across the desk. "Let's go show the board how business is actually done."
