My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 27
The audit lead closed the file.
“Understanding the company does not entitle you to conceal information from the acquiring party and the Lakecrest council.”
Evan suddenly stood up.
“If you remove Travis now, TerraGrid’s supply chain will fall apart. You can’t base everything on a few documents.”
“Mr. Bennett,” the new board chair said, looking at him coolly. “GridForge is TerraGrid’s primary supplier. You must recuse yourself from any matter involving management and supplier contracts.”
Evan’s face flushed.
“I’m a director and a Lakecrest member.”
“You are also a related party to the transaction. Pack status does not place you above the rules.”
They had once always found ways to validate each other.
Now, the same public rules were separating them.
Evan was instructed to leave the room.
Before the door shut behind him, he looked back at Travis. There was no support in his gaze, only fear.
He wasn’t afraid for a friend.
He was afraid for GridForge’s nearly broken credit line.
I recused myself from the disciplinary vote as well.
Forty minutes later, the new board announced its decision.
Travis was removed as CEO, left with only a founder’s title stripped of all management authority. All payments in the agreement tied to complete disclosure were frozen pending review and recovery proceedings.
At the same time, the Lakecrest council inspection team revoked his corporate representative qualification.
After the decision was read, he didn’t look at the board.
He kept looking at me.
“Natalie.” His voice was very soft. “You knew this would happen all along, didn’t you?”
“I only knew the documents would make it clear.”
“If I hadn’t released that statement—”
“You still would have signed incomplete disclosures, and you still would have violated the territory resource management oath.”
His face went utterly white.
Even then, he was still searching for the one action he could somehow take back.
But what destroyed him had never been a single public apology.
It was the way he had delayed responsibility again and again, until every choice had hardened into consequence.
The video conference ended.
His image vanished from the screen.