"I know."
Luc's voice comes from behind me, low and steady. "You've done nothing wrong. Walk in there like you own the place." A pause. "You do."
Henry opens the doors.
The boardroom falls silent as I enter. The full board turns toward me. Chair Richard Voss sits at the head of the table. Patricia sits to his right, ready to exploit any weakness she can find. The rest of the board fills the remaining seats.
Some of them won't meet my eyes. Walter Brandt looks at his notes. Margaret Sullivan focuses on her water glass. They've all seen the footage. They've all watched me in Dominion's private rooms and they can't reconcile this with the CEO who runs their board meetings.
I take my seat at the opposite end of the table from Voss. The CEO's chair. It's my chair. Luc takes up a position against the wall behind me, silent and watchful. Henry sits to my right.
"Thank you all for being here," Voss begins. His tone is formal, measured. "This emergency session has been called to address concerns regarding Simone LaCroix's leadership of LaCroix Petroleum. Recent events have brought significant media attention to this company. The board has received numerous inquiries from investors, partners, and stakeholders expressing concern about the company's reputation and direction."
I'm sure they have.
"Mr. Castellanos, you've requested the opportunity to address the board on Ms. LaCroix's behalf."
Henry stands. "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the board, I'll be brief. The facts are straightforward. Simone LaCroix was the victim of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by her uncle, Armand Deveraux. The FBI has confirmed this through their investigation, which resulted in federal charges including illegal surveillance, wire fraud, conspiracy, and accessory to kidnapping."
He pulls up documentation on the screen at the end of the room: FBI press conference footage, arrest records, federal criminal complaint.
"The surveillance footage that surfaced was illegally obtained evidence from a federal criminal case. Someone with access to that evidence leaked it to damage Ms. LaCroix immediately before this meeting. That leak is itself potentially criminal. But more importantly, it proves the point: Ms. LaCroix did not engage in any illegal activity. She did not compromise company security or resources. She was targeted, stalked, and violated in an attempt to undermine her leadership of this company. The exposure of her private life was not the result of poor judgmentbut of criminal action by a family member who wanted control of this company."
Henry advances to the next slide. Financial data. Revenue growth. Acquisition success rates.
"During Ms. LaCroix's tenure as CEO, this company has doubled its revenue through aggressive expansion and strategic acquisitions. Our operational performance has been strong. By every measurable metric, Ms. LaCroix has exceeded expectations in this role."
He pauses before continuing.
"The question before this board is simple: are we measuring competence by professional results, or by private consensual choices that have no bearing on job performance? Because if we're abandoning Ms. LaCroix over being victimized, we're completing the attack her uncle started."
Voss clears his throat. "Thank you, Mr. Castellanos. Are there others who wish to speak on this matter?"
The door opens. Ryan Murphy enters and takes the seat Henry indicates.
"Ryan Murphy," Voss says. "You're here to speak on Ms. LaCroix's behalf?"
"I am." Ryan's voice is steady, authoritative. "I've worked with Simone on multiple acquisitions and joint ventures over the past several years. Her strategic vision and execution have been flawless. The expansion into the Gulf that doubled LaCroix Petroleum's production capacity? That was her initiative, her negotiation, her leadership. She's one of the sharpest minds in this industry."
Patricia speaks up. "Mr. Murphy, you've benefited financially from those joint ventures with Ms. LaCroix. Doesn't that create a bias in your testimony?"
"No more than your ambition to replace her creates a bias in your judgment," Ryan says evenly. "I'm speaking to professionalcompetence, not personal loyalty. And by any metric that matters in this industry, Simone LaCroix delivers results."
Ryan leaves. Henry gestures toward the back of the room. "Luc Pascal has also agreed to speak."
Luc doesn't move from his position behind me. His voice carries across the boardroom, flat and matter-of-fact. "I worked wildcatter rigs in the Gulf before I moved into security. Simone LaCroix has the best instincts I've seen for reading field ops and making calls under pressure. She knows this business inside out. What happened to her was criminal. It has nothing to do with her ability to run this company."
He stops. Doesn't elaborate. The room is silent for a moment.
Voss clears his throat. "Thank you, Mr. Pascal."
Henry presents statements from business partners, industry colleagues, and professional associates. All of them attest to my competence, my leadership, my results.
When the character witnesses are done, Voss turns to the board. "Are there concerns board members wish to raise?"
Walter Brandt leans forward. He's been on this board since my father's time, conservative and traditional. He still won't look directly at me. "Ms. LaCroix, I don't question your professional competence. Your record speaks for itself. But leadership isn't just about numbers. It's about judgment. Discretion. The choices you make reflect on this company."
"What choices are you referring to?" I keep my voice steady.
