Page 19 of The Vows He Buried
“Your shares are managed by your father,” another board member, a thin, weaselly man named Peterson, pointed out.
“A situation that has now changed,” I replied smoothly. I placed my leather portfolio on the table and pulled out a document. “This is a legally executed proxy revocation and reassignment. As of 9:00 AM this morning, I control my own vote. So, I’ll ask again, Mr. Henderson. What, exactly, were you discussing about the future ofmycompany?”
The shift in power was palpable. They were no longer dealing with the young, overwhelmed son. They were dealing with a united front.
Before Henderson could formulate a response, the boardroom doors opened again.
Maddox strode in.
He looked every inch the powerful CEO, dressed in a flawless navy suit, his expression one of concerned authority. He had likely heard about the emergency meeting and had come to “support” Jasper—a transparent power play to insert himself into BlakeCore’s moment of vulnerability, and perhaps, to get to me.
“Jasper,” he said, his voice resonating with false sincerity. “I heard what was happening. I came as soon as I could. Don’t let these vultures pressure you. Vale Global stands with you. We can offer any resources, any support you need to weather this.” He was positioning himself as a savior, a partner.
His eyes found me then, and he faltered for a second, shock warring with something else in his gaze. He hadn’t expected me here. He hadn’t expected this version of me.
He recovered quickly. “Savannah. I’m glad you’re here with your family.” He was trying to frame me as the dutiful daughter, not the power player.
I didn’t look at him. I kept my attention focused on the board. But I spoke to him.
“Thank you for your concern, Maddox,” I said, my voice dripping with ice. “But BlakeCore has never needed the support of its competitors. Especially not now.”
The dismissal was absolute. I had drawn a line in the sand, publicly severing any connection. The air crackled with tension. Maddox’s face tightened, a flash of anger in his eyes at the public rebuke.
“Now,” I said, turning my full attention back to the stunned board members. “As I was saying. The leadership of this company is not in question.”
“Your father is incapacitated, Savannah!” Henderson boomed, finding his voice again. “A block of shares and a proxy vote doesn’t make you qualified to run a multi-billion-dollar tech firm!”
“You’re right,” I said calmly. “It doesn’t.”
I reached into my portfolio again and pulled out a second document, this one sealed with my father’s personal insignia.
“This, however, does.”
I slid the document across the table to Mark Jennings, our family’s lawyer, who had been sitting quietly at the far end of the table. “Mark, would you do the honors?”
Mark broke the seal and cleared his throat. “This is a letter of authorization and temporary appointment, signed by Daniel Blake and notarized two months ago, to be enacted in the event of his medical incapacitation.” He looked around the table, his gaze firm. “It appoints, as co-interim Chief Executive Officers, with full operational authority, his son, Jasper Blake, and his daughter, Savannah Blake.”
Checkmate.
The silence in the room was absolute, broken only by the sound of Henderson’s sharp intake of breath. My father, my brilliant, forward-thinking father, had anticipated this. He had known his health was failing, and he had put a contingency in place. He had armed me for a battle I didn’t even know was coming. He hadnever stopped believing in the daughter he had raised, not the wife I had become. A wave of love and gratitude for him washed over me, strengthening my resolve.
Maddox stared at me, his face a mask of disbelief. He had seen me as a broken doll, a runaway wife. He had never imagined I held this kind of power. He had underestimated me. They all had.
“This is preposterous,” Henderson sputtered, his face turning a blotchy red.
“It’s legally binding,” Mark Jennings stated calmly.
I stood up, placing my hands flat on the cool granite table. I leaned forward slightly, my gaze pinning each and every one of them in their seats.
“Let me be perfectly clear,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “My brother and I are now running this company. We will execute our father’s vision for Project Chimera, and we will protect this company from anyone who sees our family’s tragedy as an opportunity.” My eyes flickered to Maddox, who flinched as if struck. “There will be no further discussion about interim leadership. Is that understood?”
No one spoke. They just stared, their expressions ranging from shock to grudging respect.
“And who are you to think you can do this?” Peterson, the weaselly man, finally dared to ask, his voice a sneer. “You’ve been out of the game for three years, playing house.”
I straightened up, a slow, cold smile touching my lips. I looked at the man who had dared to challenge me, and then at allthe others who were thinking the same thing. I let the silence stretch, letting them stew in their own doubt. Then, I delivered the final blow.
“I’m the daughter of Daniel Blake,” I said, my voice ringing with a power they could not deny. “The one who remembers how to fight.”
