Chapter 13 - The Board Meeting CommencesThe main boardroom at Ashford Maritime occupied the top floor of a sleek, forty-story glass tower overlooking Boston Harbor. My father had designed the space to face the water because he wanted every executive to remember where the company began—with a single boat and a dream.
Adrian used the panoramic view differently. He liked standing beside the windows with his back to visitors, forcing them to wait in silence until he decided to turn around. That morning, he sat at the head of the massive mahogany table, wearing a sharp black suit.
My father sat at the opposite end, playing the part of a devastated, broken old man to perfection. He kept his shoulders lowered and his eyes fixed on the polished wood in front of him. Several directors had offered their condolences before the meeting began. One placed a comforting hand on his back.
Celeste sat proudly beside Adrian, with a temporary brass nameplate identifying her as 'Acting Chief of Staff'. She was wearing my mother’s pearl bracelet.
Through the secure video feed in a service corridor just outside the boardroom doors, I watched Adrian begin his monologue.
“We have all suffered an unimaginable loss,” Adrian said, his tone somber and practiced. “Helena was not only my wife. She was the heart of this family, and a symbol of Ashford Maritime’s history.” He paused, letting the silence hang. “However, grief cannot be allowed to paralyze an international company. Our thousands of employees, our clients, and our investors require stability in this dark time.”
Miriam Shaw sat near my father, a thick legal folder closed in front of her. “What exactly are you proposing, Adrian?” she asked coldly.
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Adrian nodded to Celeste. She stood and distributed copies of a proxy agreement bearing my forged signature. The document claimed that I had transferred temporary voting authority to Adrian because of concerns about my declining health.
“I did not want to disclose private medical matters,” Adrian said, looking appropriately pained, “but Helena understood that pregnancy had severely affected her judgment. She signed these documents voluntarily, one week before the tragic accident.”
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