Finnegan

The boardroom was dead silent. Mother glanced at me surreptitiously, her eyes darting from me to the folder on the desk.

I kept my face as blank as I could, waiting for her to make a move. She thought she was the only one who could pull strings? Well, she was dead wrong. I was her son after all. I had known this was coming and I had prepared for it.

"We do not have all day, Mother."

Her eyes narrowed even further when she reached forward to take the envelope I pushed toward her and drew out the bundle of documents inside.

The white paper gleamed in the light, marked with several words in black ink. Nothing could beat the look of shock on Mother’s face, her eyes widening as they swept over the documents.

The directors present murmured among themselves.

"I’ve been investigating this for a while, Mother," I said. "Forensic accountants and independent auditors have been reviewing every transaction tied to your projects."

I paused allowing my words to sink in.

"A large chunk of those shares was acquired through forged documents, embezzlement, and backdoor deals using company funds."

The murmurs grew even louder. Mother’s face went pale, then flushed with fury.

"You have no proof," she hissed.

A cold smile spread on my face. "I have plenty. And proof can be easily gotten once the suspicion is planted, right, Mother?"

That was exactly what she had wanted to do to me when she planted that false evidence in my computer. It could easily be dismissed as a lie during investigation, but it would not change the suspicion planted.

"I’m sure that if we check your bank records and wire transfers, we can get all the proof we want. Or better still, the shares can be legally challenged and potentially voided in court. Should we do that?"

Mother snatched the envelope from the table, her hands shaking with anger. "You think this scares me? You’re nothing but a spoiled, ungrateful child playing at being king."

My brows rose. Really? Now we’re going for insults?

I met her eyes without flinching. "If you’re still so interested in being CEO, Mother, perhaps we should take this to court."

Mother huffed, lifting her chin high, green eyes blazing with hatred. "I refute these baseless claims," she announced to the room, her voice dripping with venom.

"This is nothing but a desperate attempt by my son to hold onto power he doesn’t deserve."

She gathered her lawyers and stormed out of the boardroom, the door slamming behind her with a resounding bang.

My fingers dug deep into my palm as I fought to keep myself from rushing after her and trying to reason with her.

That had never worked in the past, it wouldn’t work now. It didn’t make it hurt any less though. She was my mother after all.

The room remained silent for several seconds, well, except for Jason’s whimpering. Then murmurs broke out, some directors looked relieved, others uneasy and confused.

Yeah, I would be confused if I showed up for a sudden emergency meeting just to watch the CEO and his mother bicker and threaten each other.

Sure, I had won this battle, but the war was far from over. My jaw clenched as I rose, buttoning my suit jacket. "This meeting is adjourned. I apologize for wasting your time, gentlemen. I trust that the details of this meeting will remain private?"

That was business talk for breaching the NDA contract and saying goodbye to your shares. I was a very private person; the last thing I needed was the inner workings of Wolfe Corp being exposed to someone like Carlton Gayle all over again.

Jason, my temporary assistant, followed me out, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Sir... that was intense."

If Abigail were here she would have said something hilarious. Maybe made a joke about how stunned Mother was, or said something sassy.

Her tart mouth was always coming up with things. The corner of my lips quivered at the memory, and as soon as we approached the elevator, I turned to Jason.

"Place an order to the flower shop and get James ready for my next meeting."

Jason nodded quickly and scurried off while the elevator doors dinged open. My shoes scuffed against the ground as I stepped in.

I pulled my phone from my pocket. I should check on Abigail. Something told me she definitely wasn’t resting. So fucking stubborn, I grunted, dialing her number.

She answered on the second ring. "Hey."

Her voice was soft but tired. I could hear the faint sound of a car engine in the background and every muscle in my body tensed.

"Where are you?" I asked, trying to keep my tone as calm as possible but failing terribly.

"We’re on our way home," she replied.

"What do you mean on your way home?" I demanded. "You’re supposed to be resting at home. Not leaving the goddamn house."

"Daddy, chill," she sighed. "Annette and I went to meet Owen Smith. We took some of your men with me, so don’t worry."

I didn’t like that she had gone out at all, but the relief that she was safe and had taken security eased some of the tension in my shoulders.

"Good," I sighed. The elevator doors slid open on the top floor and I strode to my office, eyeing her desk wistfully. I missed her already.

"How was the meeting with Owen then?"

She hesitated. "Owen Smith is missing. We went to his house and a bit of crazy stuff happened, so it’s either he ran off or he got kidnapped."

My jaw tightened. Just perfect, another loose end. "Send me all the details. I’ll have Matt, my PI, start looking for him immediately."

"Aww, thanks, Finn," she said softly. "I’ll see you soon?"

"Why? Miss me already?"

"Maybe." She chuckled, and that had a dumb-as-fuck smile pulling at my lips. "Stay safe, Finn."

"You too, baby."

I ended the call and immediately dialed Matt.

"I need you to find Owen Smith’s location," I told him. "And my brother Devin. Use every resource. I want them both located as soon as possible."