Chapter 204
The Deadly Strike in the Family Meeting Room
Chapter 204 The Deadly Strike in the Family Meeting Room
The next morning at 10:00 AM, New York, Harrison Trust Building, 18th floor.
The conference room was full of people. On either side of the conference table sat a dozen or so directors of the Harrison Trust.
Although Isabella inherited the trust from her father, it is nominally part of the Harrison Family Trust, and the board of directors has the right to supervise it.
Richard Harrison sat at the other end of the long table, facing Isabella.
His fat fingers tapped rhythmically on the mahogany table, a smug smile on his face.
After waiting a while, Richard cleared his throat and stood up.
He pulled a stack of newspapers out of the folder.
Those were recent issues of the New York Post and several tabloids, with front pages filled with smear campaigns against Arthur and Isabella.
"Gentlemen," he said with an air of absolute confidence.
"I believe everyone here has seen the recent reports. Isabella Harrison, our young trust heiress, has brought immense shame upon the Harrison family with her private life and her apparent red leanings."
He slammed the stack of newspapers heavily on the table.
"Even more serious, she continued to invest the family trust's funds into that radical publication called The New York Herald."
"What is that newspaper doing? It's inciting riots, attacking our banking system, and cheering on farmers who don't pay their debts!"
He looked around, his gaze sweeping across the faces of each director.
"In light of the foregoing facts, I formally propose the following: the revocation of Isabella Harrison's management authority over her inherited portion of the trust fund, and the suspension of all financial transactions pending the appointment of a new manager!"
A low murmur arose in the conference room.
Several directors who had been bribed by Richard exchanged glances, preparing to speak up in agreement.
Isabella sat in the head seat.
Standing behind her was Patrick O'Reilly, the towering dockworker.
Richard sneered and looked at Isabella.
"Isabella, is there anything else you want to say? Or are you planning to have that dockworker throw us all out?"
Isabella slowly stood up.
She walked up to Richard, stopped, and stared at him with her amber eyes.
"Are you done, Uncle?"
Richard was taken aback. He hadn't expected Isabella to speak to him in that tone.
"What did you say?"
Isabella did not answer. She took a heavy brown paper bag from her crocodile-skin handbag, opened the seal, and pulled out the documents one by one, spreading them out on the mahogany conference table.
The documents quickly covered half the table.
Richard's expression changed.
"What...what is this?"
Isabella didn't look at him. She picked up the first document and showed it to the directors present.
"This is the first sum of money Richard Harrison embezzled from Harrison's overseas shipping business in September 1929, through a shell company registered in Panama. Amount: $9. Purpose: To purchase a plantation on Long Island. Actual owner of the plantation: His mistress."
A suppressed gasp erupted in the conference room.
Isabella picked up the second document.
"This was in October 1929, just one week before the stock market crash. Richard Harrison used his family trust fund to borrow $10 from an underground money lender for an illegal leveraged cash-out. The proceeds went entirely into his private account at a Swiss bank."
Richard's face went from flushed to deathly pale. His hands began to tremble.
"You—you're framing me! These documents are all fake!"
Isabella ignored him. She picked up the third document.
"This is a record from January 1930, when Richard Harrison attempted to bribe an auditing official to cover up previous accounting discrepancies. The official refused the bribe and documented the details of the transaction."
She put down the documents, looked up, and stared at Richard.
"Uncle, is there anything else you'd like to say?"
Richard opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
His body began to tremble, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He looked pleadingly at the directors he had bribed, but they all had their heads down and dared not meet his gaze.
look at each other.
The side door of the conference room was suddenly pushed open.
All eyes turned in that direction.
The person who walked in was Elizabeth Harrison Walker.
The directors who had been bribed by Richard turned deathly pale when they saw her.
Elizabeth walked to the head of the conference table and scanned everyone present with her sharp eyes.
"Richard, what did you just say? Isabella's private life has brought shame to the family?"
Richard opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Elizabeth picked up a document from the table, glanced at it, and then tossed it back onto the table.
"I uncovered this evidence myself. What excuse do you have left?"
Richard's knees buckled, and he almost knelt on the ground.
"Big sister, please let me explain—this is all a misunderstanding—"
"Misunderstanding?" Elizabeth sneered.
"Richard, have you forgotten how my father sent those corrupt officials to prison back in Washington?"
Richard's face went completely pale. His body began to tremble violently, like a withered leaf in the wind.
Elizabeth turned to the board members and said, "Richard Harrison is hereby formally expelled from the Harrison Family Trust, effective today. All his positions are hereby revoked immediately."
She paused, then added, "As for those who were bribed—I don't want to pursue that today. But from now on, if I find out you're up to any more tricks, I guarantee your fate will be ten times worse than Richard's."
The directors kept their heads down, not daring to utter a sound.
Elizabeth turned around and looked at Richard, who was slumped in his chair.
"What are you still standing here for? Waiting for me to treat you to dinner?"
Richard stood up shakily, grabbed the table for support, and slowly made his way to the door.
As he reached the door, he turned back and gave Isabella a look that was a mixture of fear and resentment.
Patrick O'Reilly took a step forward.
Richard was so startled that he stumbled and almost fell, then scrambled out of the conference room.
The door slammed shut.
The meeting room was deathly silent.
Elizabeth walked up to Isabella, reached out, and gently patted her shoulder.
"Well done."
Isabella nodded.
She turned to face the board members. Her voice was soft and steady, every word clear and distinct.
"Ladies and gentlemen, from this day forward, the money in the Harrison Trust will be used where it is meant to be used."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over each face.
"I hereby announce that the Harrison Trust will establish a nationwide agricultural mutual aid fund. The initial funding is one million US dollars. This money will be used to support self-help cooperatives for Midwestern farmers, to purchase seeds, fertilizers, and diesel fuel, and to help those driven to desperation by banks to get back on their feet."
No one speaks.
Isabella continued, "This isn't charity. This is an investment. An investment in those who are still willing to work, in those who haven't given up hope. I believe this investment will be worth more than any stocks or bonds."
After she finished speaking, she sat back down in her chair.
There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.
Then, someone started it, and a few scattered claps rang out. The claps grew louder and more frequent, until they finally became a continuous chorus.
Elizabeth stood to the side, watching all this, a slight smile playing on her lips.