‘Spare us the melodramatics, Nick,’ Williams snarls.
‘We’ve learned about your little adventure on Saturday night, Gregory, and we’re here to remove you as a director of our company before you get banged up and drag our name down with you.’
I flinch at his words. He really is a nasty piece of pie. I’m actually excited to watch this unfold and see his vindictive plan fall to shit around him.
‘Hmm, yes, I’ve been informed of your knowledge.’ Gregory leans back in his black leather chair, his elbows resting on the arms of his seat. ‘I’m also aware of how you acquired that knowledge.’
Nick squirms.There’s a reason Sydney told him.Williams and Lawrence similarly rest back into their directors’ chairs. They know and they also know that Gregory just took the upper hand. But I’m not the only person in the room who’s still in the dark. Jean-Paul raises his thick brows at Nick. Finding no answers, he turns to look at the man I presume is Tim. As Tim’s shoulders rise, his second chin wags a little from side to side.
‘How I came to find out is beside the point,’ Nick snaps, clearly rattled. ‘The fact is, you killed a man and you can’t direct a company from a prison cell. So, why don’t we get this over with and vote. All those members in favour of removing Gregory Ryans as a director, please raise your hand.’
Nick shoots up his hand as the three men at my end of the table remain stone-faced, although there might be the slightest curling at the corner of Gregory’s top lip. Tim and Jean-Paul are uncertain, their hands hovering, lifting and dropping as theylook from one another to Gregory. I open my mouth to speak but Gregory drops a hand to my knee. He wants to wait; he wants to know whether Tim and Jean-Paul will turn coat.
‘Gentlemen, how do you vote?’ Gregory asks calmly.
The men look to each other one more time and then to a snarling Nick.
‘I’m sorry, Gregory, but Nick’s right. If you’re convicted, the company will suffer.’ Jean-Paul doesn’t want to do this but in his shoes, I might feel compelled to do the same thing. He raises his hand, followed by the sheepish climb of Tim’s hand.
Now it’s my turn to watch that smug face twist. ‘Actually, Nick, forgive me for breaking up your fun but the other directors won’t be voting. Neither in their capacity as directors nor as shareholders. You see, you have no right to remove Gregory from the Board today.’
‘Excuse me?’Oh yes,this is fun.He despises me already, as I do him.
‘Well, removal of a director under Section 168 of the Companies Act requires a period of notice, which you haven’t given.’
‘Ridiculous, we’re all here; there’s a quorate meeting. The vote stands.’
‘I’m afraid you’re mistaken. However, let’s suppose for a second that you are correct and the hands around the room reflect the voting position.’ Nick’s head follows my gaze as I, rather dramatically, turn to each man at the table and count the number of hands held, finally settling back on Nick. ‘Three. I’m afraid you don’t have an ordinary resolution.’
Nick finally draws down his hand and laughs heartily, sardonically. ‘Well, pretty little legal advisor, you should’ve gotten a better degree. Let me point out the facts for you. The three raised hands represent 54 per cent of the shares in this company. We just passed an ordinary resolution.’
My body seems to move faster than my mind as I push back my chair and move to the other end of the table where I lean on one hand, my face close to Nick’s. I slap the company’s Articles on the table in front of him. ‘You might want to read Article 9, pretty little pig.’
I watch as realisation sinks in to his pea-size brain. He raises his head and looks first directly at Gregory, then to me. I can’t help the smug grin that pulls on my face.
‘I have a first-class honours degree from Cambridge and a distinction in legal practice. I’m not new to this game, so I suggest you don’t try to outsmart me at my bread and butter.’ I hold his stare until he blinks, then tap the Articles of Association with my index finger. ‘You can keep those.’
Williams is clearly suppressing a laugh as I strut, somewhat unprofessionally, back to my place by Gregory’s side. He squeezes my knee quickly under the table before standing and fastening one button of his jacket. ‘Here’s what’s going to happen. Tim, Jean-Paul, I don’t hate you. In fact, I don’t care enough for either of you to like or dislike you. But I do respect the work you do for this company and I know how much you care for it. I also know that you’ve followed like sheep as Nick has tried to take a personal stand against me. So I’ll ask you once and only once and you’ll answer me now. Do you want to side with him and sign your resignations today, or do you want to walk out of this room, keep your positions and swear never to cross me again?’
Tim speaks first. ‘I’m with you, Gregory; I always have been. I just didn’t know what to do.’
Nick mutters something under his breath but it’s not loud enough to reach our side of the table.
‘Me too, Gregory, I’m sorry. Really. Truly. I’m sorry.’ Jean-Paul looks on the brink of tears as he speaks but there’s noempathy from Lawrence or Williams. I’m inwardly delighted by their solidarity.
Gregory doesn’t acknowledge the apologies; he’s too busy burning his black eyes into the blue-greys opposite him. He reaches into his inside pocket and removes the resignation letter, then flattens it on the table. ‘Pen, Scarlett.’
I hand him my pen, which he fleetingly scrutinises before placing it on top of the letter.Arrogant arse,what’s wrong with my pen?‘Nick, this is your letter of resignation and an expression of your request to have the company buy back your shareholding.’ He lifts his eyes back to meet Nick’s. ‘Sign it.’
Nick throws his head back, laughing. ‘Why the hell would I want to do that?’
I’m holding my breath, waiting for Gregory to pounce. But he doesn’t. Instead, he fiddles with his shirt, bringing it back to its usual position, just breaching the end of his jacket sleeves. ‘You’ll sign it because you don’t want me to tell your wife that you’ve been fucking Sydney.’ His words are calm.That’s what he held back from me.
‘Motherfucker!’ Nick is yelling but he’s walking to our end of the table.
‘No, Nick, your mother is one person I definitelywouldn’tfuck.’
Gregory leaves the room, slamming the door behind him. I wait for Nick to sign the letter, then he storms out too. There’s an awkward air in the room whilst the other four men consider each other in silence.
