Three-year-old Emmett Montaro carried the small plate of homemade blackberry cobbler across the stone terrace with both hands.

The forensic firm found the first complete copy of the deleted continuity packet in an ordinary place.

Thomas Keane’s assistant had scanned it into his personal board archive before the banquet.

Thomas had never opened it.

Lucille apparently planned to distribute the packets during the 7:15 meeting.

Katherine read the document first.

Then she called Rafael.

“You need to come in.”

He arrived forty minutes later.

The packet did not contain an automatic succession clause.

It did not magically strip Rafael of ownership.

It was more practical than that.

And more dangerous.

It outlined a strategy for temporarily removing him as chairman if a public incident raised concerns about emotional stability, reputational exposure, or voluntary withdrawal from family leadership.

It cited the company bylaws.

Those bylaws allowed a majority of directors to appoint an interim chair during a crisis.

Nothing illegal about discussing continuity.

Companies did it all the time.

The disturbing part was the date.

Thursday.

Two days before the banquet.

And one section had been highlighted:

Public repudiation of family stewardship may be considered evidence of unwillingness to continue as chairman pending clarification.

Rafael stared at the sentence.

The words he shouted on the terrace returned immediately.

You reject my son. I reject this family.

Katherine said, “That phrase alone would not remove you.”

“I know.”

“But combined with the table incident, witnesses, and a prearranged emergency vote…”

“It gives them a story.”

“Yes.”

Rafael looked through the rest.

The proposed interim chair was Lucille.

Celina would become secretary of the family governance committee.

Neither woman would control Rafael’s shares.

But they could gain immediate operational influence at exactly the moment Rafael was finalizing reforms that would eliminate much of their informal authority.

Katherine placed another document beside it.

The catering plan.

One line had been added by Celina the morning of the banquet.

Emmett presentation — immediately before director dessert service.

Rafael looked at her.

“Presentation?”

“That’s what it says.”

The cobbler had not simply happened to reach Lucille while every director watched.

Someone scheduled it.

Rafael’s hands slowly closed.

Katherine saw.

“Not yet.”