The other eight members of the board nodded politely, their gazes fixed on her. They were all men, fortysomething to sixtysomething, longtime members of the Atlanta business community and the aviation industry. She knew most of them by sight, but she’d shared little more than a passing greeting with any of them.
Max moved away from the head chair, gesturing for her to sit down in it. “Please, Ms. Welsley.”
She hesitated over the bold gesture, but Max gave her an encouraging smile.
She told herself she could do this. For Zachary, she could do this. She lifted her chin, walked forward and took the power chair.
Max took the chair to her right.
She stared down the center of the table, fixing her vision on the photograph of a red-and-white biplane at the far end of the room. She had no idea what to say.
Luckily, Max opened for her. “Per article 17.9 of the Coast Eagle Articles of Incorporation,” he said, “Ms. Welsley is exercising her right as majority shareholder—”
“She’s not the majority shareholder,” said Clint Mendes.
Max peered at Clint. “According to the State of Georgia, she represents the majority shareholder.”
“But that’s under appeal,” said Clint.
“And until that appeal is settled, Ms. Welsley represents the interests of Zachary Henderson. Now, as I was saying—”
The boardroom door swung abruptly open, revealing Roth in the threshold, his eyes wide, face ruddy, and his jaw clenched tight.
“Mr. Calvin,” said Max, a clear rebuke in his tone. “I’m afraid this is a private meeting.”
“Is this a coup?” Roth demanded.
A hush came over the room as everyone waited to see what Amber would do.
She immediately realized she had to step up. She couldn’t let Max defend her against Roth. She was going to be a board member, and she had to stand her ground.
If she lost the court case, Roth would have her fired within seconds. He would have done that anyway. She had nothing left to lose.
She came to her feet, turning and squaring her shoulders. “Please leave the meeting, Roth.”
The silence boomed around her.
Roth’s jaw worked, his face growing redder. “Are you out of your—”
“Please leave,” she repeated. “This meeting is for board members only.”
“You’re not a board member,” Roth all but shouted.
“I’m the majority shareholder, Roth. That’s as much as you need to know. Now leave.”
Nelson MacSweeny coughed, but said nothing.
Roth glared at the man.
Then he fixed a biting, narrow-eyed stare on Amber.
But he seemed to understand that he’d lost the round. He stepped back, banging the door shut.
Knees shaky, Amber sat down. Everyone was still looking down the table at her. But something in their expressions had changed.