Chapter 123: Eight Votes, Unanimous
Diane’s POV
The shrill ring of my phone pierced through the morning quiet, jolting me from the peaceful moment I’d been savoring with my cup of herbal tea. One week had passed since the court appearance and that strange dinner with Liam—a week of careful planning and quiet anticipation. Now, seeing Guerrero’s name on my caller ID made my pulse quicken.
"Diane," his familiar voice came through the speaker, warm but businesslike. "I hope I’m not calling too early. I need you to come by the office for a very important meeting this morning. Can you be here by ten?"
"Of course," I replied, trying to keep the tremor of excitement from my voice. "Is there anything specific I should prepare for?"
There was a pause, and when he spoke again, his tone had shifted to something more personal, more emotional. "Actually, Diane, before we discuss business, I want to thank you again. What you did for Natasha and me at your birthday party... I can never express how grateful I am."
My heart warmed at the memory. "Mr. Guerrero, you don’t need to—"
"Please, let me finish," he interrupted gently. "Natasha moved in with her stepmother and me 2 weeks ago. For the first time in years, my daughter is home. She’s laughing again, talking to us, being part of our family. That’s because of you, Diane. Because of your incredible capacity for forgiveness and your wisdom about family. I owe you more than I can ever repay."
Tears pricked at my eyes. "I’m so happy for you both. Family is everything."
"Indeed it is. I’ll see you at ten, then."
As I hung up, a surge of emotions washed over me. The meeting could only mean one thing—the board was ready to make their decision about Synergy Sphere’s future. My future.
I immediately dialed my father’s number, needing to hear his voice, to draw strength from his support.