“Then there was the willful alteration of internal memos and acquisition documents to strip Asher’s name from the current acquisition file and substitute his own, misleading employees and nearly derailing the deal.”
Clayton’s eyes rolled so hard I was surprised he didn't pull a muscle in his neck. I hung my head so as not to look at him or provoke him, but the damage was done. He was the one who brought this on himself.
“And finally, the physical assault of the CEO on company property during business hours. Security footage is clear, timestamped, and undisputed. Mr. Clayton Locke attacked his brother in his office without provocation.”
"Now hold on! What about the day he shoved me in this very room!" Clayton was on his feet again to defend himself, but with no one in his corner, the rebuttal fell on deaf ears and no one seemed to care.
Robert paused just long enough for the silence to settle and then said, “All evidence is in your packets. Bank transfers, audio file transcripts, digital audit trails…"
He turned to the table with a somber tone and what I knew after talking to him was a very heavy heart. It isn't what my father wanted, but there would be no peace unless we moved forward. “I move that Clayton Locke be removed as chairman of the board and as an officer of Locke Global, effective immediately, terminated for cause.”
“Second,” Cassandra said without hesitation.
“All in favor?”
Hands all over this room rose in tandem like eight witnesses to the truth. The only one who faltered was me, because despite knowing this was the right way, he was still my brother. I knew how my father would feel. Still, my arm lifted and my hand rose in solidarity with them all.
Clayton stared at them as the color drained from his face, mouth opening and closing with no sound. There was nothing he could do and he knew it. The board got the final say, and even a wrongful termination suit wouldn't hold up in court. Clayton made his bed, and now he had to lie in it.
Security was waiting outside the room—Robert's idea just in case my brother got violent over this, and at one hand motion from our new board chairman, not voted in yet, they entered. The guards had Clayton halfway to the door when I lifted a hand. They paused and Clayton froze, like he was waiting for me to strike again.
I leaned forward to speak calmly. “One more thing, Brother. I’m prepared to walk into the SEC tomorrow morning with everything we just showed this board—the bribery, the document fraud, the attempted extortion using company resources. That’s federal prison territory, Clayton. Wire fraud, securities violations, conspiracy. You’ll never hold a director title again. Anywhere.”
His face went scarlet, veins standing out at his temples. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me," I said, squaring my shoulders. “Or you can sign a share transfer to relieve yourself of the majority shares of Locke and get some help." My heart broke over this part, because he wasstill my brother and this company was his inheritance. I wanted for him what our father wanted. I just wanted him to be mentally stable first. Selling off the shares was Robert's idea.
Clayton looked around the table, frantic now, searching for a single friendly face. He found none. Edward Klouse gave him the same disappointed stare that was reflected on my face and Robert's. Cassandra shook her head and one by one, they nodded at me.
Robert spoke for all of them. “The board stands with Asher.”
Clayton’s shoulders sagged. The fight leaked out of him like air from a punctured tire. He jerked his arms free of the guards and straightened his jacket with shaking hands. “You’re all dead to me,” he spat, but the words cracked in the middle. When he turned for the door, I called after him.
“You’re still family, Clayton. Maybe one day, we can put this behind us.”
He never looked back as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door in the security guards' faces, and all the rest of us could do was watch his dramatic exit. I prayed he got the help he needed, and while I was still a big sore over everything that happened, Veda had drilled it into me that he was family no matter what and that forgiveness would come when it was time.
The rest of the meeting went a little more smoothly. We voted Robert in as a new chairman and nominated several candidates to take Clayton's seat. By the time we were done, I had butterflies just thinking about seeing Veda. She'd all but moved into my home, though she was still back and forth bringing things over daily, and we slept in the same bed every night. Still, seeingher tonight was special, because I planned to finish what I had wanted to do weeks ago.
The restaurant was candlelit and quiet, white tablecloths, low jazz. It felt like the perfect romantic spot for me to take a second chance at this. Veda sat across from me in a simple black dress, hair loose the way I loved it, and her eyes sparkled with mirth.
I told her everything—the vote, the shares, the SEC hammer I’d held over Clayton’s head until he folded. She listened intently as she ate and when I finished, she whispered, “It’s really over?”
“It’s really over," I told her solemnly. "And hopefully, he’s getting the help he needs now."
She let out a breath that shook. “I kept thinking he’d find a way to slither out of it.”
“Not this time.” I reached across the table and took her hand. “And there’s something else.”
She tilted her head as if she was wary of what I might say but didn't respond to me.
“I want you back at Locke Global as a full communications representative. Same title and pay as the senior reps. Triple what you made bartending. You earned it ten times over.”
Her mouth parted but no sound came out. She just stared at me with eyes wide and shimmering. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and I could tell she was overwhelmed. After everything, she probably felt like a stain on my reputation, and I thought the best thing to do was to make sure if she had stained me, that it was a tattoo I was proud to wear.
I slid out of my chair, went down on one knee right there between the tables. The ring had been burning a hole in mypocket again, and this time, nothing was going to derail my plans. I loved her more than anything, and it seemed like the perfect moment to bring this up.
“Veda Porter, you saw me at my absolute worst and still believed there was a man worth saving underneath. You fought for me when I couldn’t fight for myself. I’m sober because of you. I’m alive because of you. Marry me. Let me spend the rest of my life proving I’m worthy of the faith you never gave up.”
