The next morning, the sky was clear and bright over downtown Manhattan. The glass tower of the Vance Global Corporation stood tall against the blue horizon. Inside the grand boardroom on the fortieth floor, a long mahogany table was surrounded by high-society investors, corporate board members, and bank representatives.
At the head of the table sat Julian, wearing an expensive dark blue suit. A thick beige bandage covered his left cheek where I had slapped him the previous afternoon. Sitting beside him was Evelyn, dressed in a sharp grey dress, holding a stack of legal documents.
Julian: Members of the board, thank you for assembling on such short notice. We are ready to finalize the trust restructuring before the state auditor arrives.
Board Member Miller: Where is the primary beneficiary, Julian? The trust rules state that Hannah’s legal guardian must be present.
Evelyn: My brother holds full proxy authority, Mr. Miller. Vanessa was declared an unfit guardian by our legal team yesterday afternoon.
Board Member Miller: Unfit? Do you have the official court decree for that?
Evelyn: The paperwork is being processed as we speak. Vanessa engaged in a violent physical attack at our home yesterday.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the back of the boardroom swung open with a loud thud. The entire room went silent as I walked in, wearing a sharp white suit, holding Hannah’s hand. Beside us walked Marcus Vance and two uniformed police officers.
Vanessa: Don't bother signing those papers, Julian. The meeting is over.
Julian: Vanessa?! How did security let you up here?
Marcus: Security works for the true owners of this building, Julian. And right now, that is Hannah Vance.
Evelyn: Get out of this boardroom! This is a private corporate meeting!
Vanessa: Take a look at these photos first, Evelyn!
I stepped forward and slammed a thick manila envelope onto the center of the mahogany table. Four large glossy photographs spilled across the polished wood, showing the dark purple bruises on Hannah’s small arm and the red marks on her scalp.
Board Member Miller: Good Lord... what happened to this child?
Vanessa: That is what Julian and Evelyn did to my daughter yesterday when she refused to sign their fake trust waiver!
Julian: She is lying! Those photos are fabricated!
Police Officer: Mr. Vance, we have the official medical report from the hospital ER right here. The injuries were documented by a state forensic physician at four o'clock yesterday.
Evelyn’s face turned completely white. She pulled her hands back from the legal documents on the table, her body shaking as the board members began murmuring in disgust.
Board Member Miller: Julian... is this true? Did your sister lay hands on Arthur's granddaughter?
Julian: It was a misunderstanding, Miller! The girl fell down the stairs!
Hannah: I didn't fall, Mr. Miller! Aunt Evelyn grabbed me and Daddy told her to squeeze my arm!
The entire boardroom erupted into furious shouting as the investors stood up from their leather chairs, glaring down at Julian and Evelyn in complete horror.