"Uncle Kalian did not simply embarrass this company. He spread deliberate falsehoods about our financial standing. He manufactured uncertainty in the market. He made sure our share price dropped far enough that the board would feel forced to take emergency measures that included, among other things, suspending me." He let that land.
"He did this carefully, and he did it over time. And every step of it was a violation of the duty he owed to this company and everyone in it."
Claire's expression had shifted somewhere during this. The anger was still there, but it had changed shape, moving from hot and reactive into something colder and more careful.
"The clause," she said slowly, almost to herself. "I've never heard of such a clause."
She looked up.
"When was it put in place?"
"From the very beginning," Julian said simply.
