"Richard held a meeting with his executives. Christopher is now suggesting that the restructuring instructions came directly from Richard."
Eleanor sat down.
"Does he have documents?"
"Apparently."
"Are they authentic?"
"We don't know yet."
"Then we verify them."
Leonard sighed.
"There's something else. Richard has contacted two board members privately. He wants them to challenge the trust's voting rights."
Eleanor was silent.
"Ellie?"
"I'm here."
"He may try to argue that the 1998 amendment is invalid because the company has changed ownership several times since then."
"Has the trust ever been dissolved?"
"No."
"Has the amendment ever been revoked?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then he can challenge it through the proper legal process."
Leonard paused.
"Are you worried?"
Eleanor looked at Thomas's photograph on the shelf.
"Yes."
"About losing control?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"About what happens to the people while powerful men argue over who has the right to make decisions."
Leonard said nothing.
Eleanor continued.
"We need to protect the employees first. The legal questions can be answered in court if necessary."
"I'll speak to the board."
"Thank you."
She ended the call.
Then she looked at the handwritten list on her table.
Margaret Ellis.
Samuel Ortiz.
Daniel Mercer.
André Moreau.
Peter Langford.
Names.
Not units.
Not labor costs.
Not transition expenses.
People.
She picked up her phone and called Sofia.
"Please arrange a meeting with the employee representatives tomorrow."
"All departments?"
"Yes. Kitchen, dining room, housekeeping, maintenance, administration. I want to hear from everyone."
"Do you want Leonard present?"
"Not at first."
"Richard?"
Eleanor considered the question.
"No."
"All right."
"And Sofia?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure nobody feels required to attend. I want honest conversations, not a room full of people afraid of saying the wrong thing."
"I'll arrange it."
Eleanor put the phone down.
The next day, she would hear the stories of the people who had kept the Grand Aurelia alive.
And she suspected that some of those stories would be harder to hear than anything Richard Halston had said.
THE WOMAN WHO REMEMBERED EVERY NAME
The meeting began at ten in the morning.
It was held in the Grand Aurelia's old ballroom, a room that had once been used for wedding receptions, charity dinners, and private celebrations.
The ballroom had been renovated twice, but the original wooden floor remained. The walls were painted a warm cream color, and tall windows overlooked the avenue.
The room could accommodate two hundred people.
That morning, only thirty-seven chairs had been arranged.
Eleanor had asked for a small meeting.
She did not want a formal presentation.
She did not want a stage.
She did not want a microphone.
She wanted people to speak as themselves.
When she entered, several employees stood.
She immediately raised a hand.
"Please. Sit down."
They obeyed.
Eleanor took the chair at the same level as everyone else.
Sofia sat beside her with a notebook.
Peter Langford stood near the door.
André Moreau sat in the second row, his arms folded.
Daniel Mercer was there too, looking nervous.
Samuel Ortiz had arrived early and chosen a seat near the window.
Margaret Ellis sat beside him.
Eleanor looked around the room.
"Thank you for coming."
No one spoke.
She continued.
"I know there are rumors about the future of this company. I know some of you are frightened. I know some of you are angry. And I know some of you may believe that nothing you say here will make a difference."
She paused.
"I cannot promise that every decision will go the way you want. I cannot promise that no position will ever change. I will not insult you by pretending that a business can avoid difficult choices forever."
A few employees looked up.
"But I can promise this. No one should lose their job because they asked a reasonable question. No one should be pressured into signing an agreement they do not understand. And no one should be treated as though years of service mean nothing simply because someone has found a cheaper way to record a cost."
The room remained silent.
Eleanor looked at Margaret.
"Margaret has already spoken with the independent auditors. Samuel has provided records about maintenance requests. Others have shared information too. I want to hear from people who have not yet had a chance to speak."
She looked around.
"Who would like to begin?"
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then a woman near the back raised her hand.
Her name was Rosa Delgado.
She was fifty-eight and had worked in the group's housekeeping department for nineteen years.
Eleanor nodded.
"Please, Rosa."
Rosa stood.
"I don't know where to begin."
"Anywhere you like."
Rosa looked at her hands.
"They changed our schedules in August. They said the new contractor would handle cleaning supplies and staff assignments. We were told our jobs would remain the same, but our contracts would change."
"Did they explain the new terms?"
"Not properly."
"What changed?"