Chapter 152: The Emergency CEO
Mara Vance became temporary chief executive for ninety days.
The board appointed her at eight the next morning after reviewing independence, operational experience, and conflicts. She had joined Sterling as an outside operations officer during the committee period. She owned no founder-family shares and had never reported to Celeste or Conrad on the old project.
Her mandate filled one page.
Pay employees.
Maintain lawful operations.
Protect participants and records.
Complete the revoked project's controlled closeout.
Preserve business lines operating under separate authority.
She could not restart the old trial, negotiate away Trust rights, settle conduct claims, or use the temporary office to campaign in the proxy fight.
Every extraordinary payment required a second signature from the independent finance monitor. Every change to closeout access required safety approval. The mandate would be published internally so emergency could not become another invisible source of executive power.
"Why not Evelyn?" a director asked before the vote.
I answered before anyone could turn silence into ambition.
"Because emergency operations need an accountable manager, not a family claimant."
I disclosed my Sterling board seat, Mercer Nova position, Trust observer role, and control of the independent improvement entity. Then I abstained from the appointment vote after stating that Mara was qualified.
The remaining independent directors approved her.
Conrad voted against.
Celeste, suspended from executive authority, submitted a written objection through counsel. Her objection did not stop a board vote she had received notice of.
Mara entered the CEO office with the records custodian beside her. She did not sit for photographs. Her first signature authorized payroll. Her second preserved health coverage during the initial closeout review. Her third required every department to classify which authority supported current work.
She left Celeste's archived files sealed and used a clean operations account. The office could change occupants without allowing one executive's preserved record to become another executive's working material.
OLD AUTHORIZATION appeared in red.
SAFETY MAINTENANCE appeared in yellow.
SEPARATELY AUTHORIZED WORK appeared in green only after independent verification.
The chart did not promise that green projects would survive forever. It prevented revocation of one authorization from becoming an excuse to abandon every employee or continue forbidden activity under a new label.
Mara held a staff meeting without me.
I watched the internal recording later because directors received the same copy. She told employees that Celeste's suspension was temporary pending process, my board role did not make me CEO, and no manager could demand loyalty to either sister.
"Your job today is to follow the authority attached to your work," she said. "If you cannot identify it, stop and ask."
No applause followed.
Questions did.
Mara answered until the list ended. When she lacked authority, she named the committee that held it and set a deadline for response. She did not convert uncertainty into confidence language.
The payroll team asked about cash.
The safety team asked about closeout access.
Researchers asked whether preserved materials could be analyzed.
"Only as authorized for safety, preservation, or separately approved work," Mara said. "No new research outcome collection under the revoked project."
That answer mattered more than a rallying speech.
Northstar received notice of the interim appointment. Its transaction remained delayed, neither approved nor terminated. Mara could provide operational facts but could not cure historical warranties with a new title.
The Trust received a separate confirmation that Sterling would not treat emergency management as a license.
Mercer received no private briefing from me. Julian's independent team used the public notice and authorized transaction channels.
By afternoon, every critical operational function had a named temporary owner. The board could replace Mara for cause. She could resign. Her mandate would return for review before ninety days ended.
That was the local result.
Sterling had a CEO who was not a sister, a spouse, or a founder's proxy.
I expected the board to let her work.
Instead, two directors asked me to remain after the meeting.
They had filled the emergency office.
Now they wanted to offer me the permanent one.