“Yes.”
“Then act like it.”
Rebecca’s expression chilled.
“I am.”
Grace almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
The vote began at 6:37.
It took nine minutes.
Ethan lost eight to three.
Effective immediately, he was suspended as CEO.
His authority over company bank accounts was frozen.
His access to internal financial systems was terminated.
His company credit cards were canceled.
The forensic audit would begin at 8:00 the following morning.
For ninety seconds after the vote, Ethan said nothing.
Then his phone buzzed.
He looked at it.
DECLINED.
Another notification.
DECLINED.
Then another.
Grace knew exactly what was happening.
The resort had just tried to authorize the second half of the villa charges.
On the company card.
Ethan looked up.
Grace met his eyes.
“That card stopped working about thirty seconds ago.”
Nobody smiled.
Which somehow made it worse.
He stood.
“This is temporary.”
Grace nodded.
“Yes.”
“You think you won because people panicked.”
