Then I smiled.
“You really shouldn’t do that,” I said softly.
“Why not?” Richard snapped.
“Because it wouldn’t look good,” I replied, “to have the majority shareholder dragged out of her own event.”
He froze.
“Majority… what?”
Before he could say more, a voice interrupted.
“The prenuptial agreement only covered pre-marital assets.”
My lawyer stepped forward, placing a document into Richard’s shaking hands.
“Adrian transferred his controlling shares to Natalie Whitmore before his passing.”
The room erupted in whispers.
Victoria dropped her clutch.
Lily’s phone slipped from her fingers.
Richard flipped through the pages desperately, but there was no mistake.
I stepped forward.
“You were CEO,” I said calmly. “Past tense.”
Gasps spread through the crowd.
I walked onto the stage, took the microphone, and addressed the room.