Confession Executive Committee Novels & Stories

“Sit.” I sat. My hands stayed on my lap until I trusted them not to shake. “We are convening for a conduct review under scholarship clause 4B,” the chair said, reading like the words were sacred. “Allegations include undisclosed external sponsorship and conflict of interest.” I swallowed. “I’d like to submit documentation.” “Soon,” the chair said. “Answer the questions first.” Of course. A woman on the committee leaned forward. “Are you in a relationship with Adrian Valezco?”

Miles answers. “Timestamp says last night,” he says. “Private restaurant. No security footage.” Mr. David Lee shakes his head. “This looks bad,” he says. Ms. Sarah Kim nods. “Very bad,” she says. Dr. Robert Chen clears his throat. “Conflict of interest,” he says. “We must discuss fiduciary duty.” Why am I just realizing that my board is filled with half Asians. Anyway, moving on… Mrs. Elena Vasquez raises her hand. “I agree,” she says.

From anticipation to confusion, from disappointment to frustration, then to simmering anger. He must've been thinking we had agreed to go through our 144th declaration today. Why didn't I show up? Why would I humiliate him like this in front of the world? But Aldric, hadn't I gone through that same humiliation 143 times? Well, thank goodness, there wouldn't be a 144th time. This time, I was the one who was done. My resignation stirred quite a storm inside Cromwell LLP. Most of my colleagues never knew about my past with Aldric. But now, after everything that happened, the rumors have begun to swirl.

“Your questions across the table. Holding your hand when it feels right. Slow steps with you. That’s what matters most.” We called the board chairman on speaker while Adrian and the investigator waited. “We confirm ongoing trust,” I said. “Damien answers every concern openly. We review all documents together at our own pace. That’s our commitment.” Damien added, “Selene leads the questions. I follow with full honesty. No hiding. That’s how we’ve built this.” The chairman replied, “We accept for now. But tomorrow’s final meeting requires Selene alone with the investigator. No exceptions.”

We go to the Executive Conference Room—the same room where Alex first bound me in Chapter 23. It has been transformed. The chairs are gone. The massive mahogany table has been polished until it gleams like black water. Surrounding the table, standing in the shadows, are the witnesses. Lena and Marcus. Leo and the surviving cult leaders. A select group of journalists who signed NDAs thicker than a bible. Cameras are set up on tripods, red lights blinking. This isn't a private fuck. This is a coronation. I walk to the table. I’m wearing a robe made of white silk.

Harrison said, after a pause that lasted a fraction too long to read as casual, "that this discussion has strayed considerably from the matter at hand, which is whether this committee retains confidence in the current Acting Chief of Staff arrangement." "Then let's vote," Kaelen said, cutting in for the first time in several minutes, his voice carrying the flat, dangerous calm she'd learned to recognize as the edge of his temper rather than the absence of it. "Put it to the full board. Let every member here go on record, formally, supporting or opposing the woman who saved this company's stock price in eleven minutes while half of you were still reading headlines instead of incident reports.

She’d warned us. She was quiet about it. Remarkably quiet, for Leah. The enforcement section. The personal framing. The specific language of someone who had built this from the inside of what failure produced. Ninety minutes. Questions that held. Every single one. At the end the chair looked at Aria for a long moment. Then he said, “This committee will be recommending the mandatory disclosure framework for full legislative adoption.” The room didn’t erupt. It wasn’t that kind of room. But it shifted again.

My assistant ran to my side. "Hmm Clara? You didn't just ran up to me to say nothing, right?" I asked, as she kept silent even when I was staring at her. "I'm so sorry Miss Mondragon. But there was something out about you on the tabloids with Mr Yuan and since Miss Sofia could not come to the office, she called us here to come and have the meeting here." She mumbled and I nodded. Not everyone in my company knew me or have seen my face before. There was a big gap about me being a CEO and a model.

Something is certainly wrong with this dude… But I won’t call him out just yet, I’ll give him some time to rethink his decisions and decide if he wants to do the right thing, or not. I sat there in silence, letting my presence weigh down on them. Dad and Mr. Roberts came in with the HR team and they spoke to the executive, clarifying my position and Riley’s. The board of directors and shareholders were connected to this meeting via zoom, and they sounded pleased to see that a new chairman has emerged.

CONRAD I entered the conference room, heading straight for the executive chair at the head of the table. Everyone was already gathered. Board members, major shareholders, and a few senior executives. Their eyes flickered towards me as I sat down, facing them. I felt like I was under an investigation, but I didn't let it get to me. I never let my worries show. Their murmurings ceased the moment I sat down. I tried to steady my breathing. I still didn't know what the meeting was about this early. Neither did I know what the allegation was. All I knew was that this was urgent. I waited to hear what was happening.