Chapter 6 - The Transfer at Dawn
The transfer had not yet cleared.
Our bank's compliance team confirmed it was pending additional review, and I asked our authorized finance officers to place lawful holds on any unverified instruction.
I did not tell the bank to seize anyone's property.
I asked them to verify authority, protect corporate funds, and preserve evidence.
Daniel traced the submission to a service account used by our accounting platform.
Its credentials had been created through a contractor that Martin once supervised.
That contractor was now unreachable.
The receiving institution was in Switzerland.
The named beneficiary was a company I had never seen before.
Redcliff Advisory Holdings.
"It could be an ordinary payment," Daniel said.
"Then we'll ask for the invoice," I answered.
There was no invoice.
There was a purchase order with my initials and a description that read strategic transition support.
A phrase as vague as a politician's apology.
Veronica notified the appropriate authorities and our auditors, carefully separating suspected wrongdoing from established facts.
Meanwhile, my leadership team worked to keep our employees and clients informed without repeating unverified allegations.
I hated the thought that a scandal engineered by Mauro might frighten people who had trusted me with their jobs.
At noon, our operations director, Sophie Grant, came into my office.
"You need to see this before it goes live."
On her tablet was a drafted article about our company.
The headline accused me of stealing money from a charitable foundation bearing my own family name.
The publication requested comment within an hour.
I looked at the reporter's supporting files.
Most were versions of the same forged documents we had already preserved.
"We respond through counsel," Veronica said.
I nodded.
"And we tell our staff the truth we can prove."
That afternoon, I held a meeting with senior managers.
I told them an unauthorized board notice had been circulated and that our counsel was reviewing suspicious records.
I promised to share verified developments and asked anyone receiving unusual instructions to report them.
Nobody applauded.
I was grateful.
This was not a speech that deserved applause.
It was a promise I needed to keep.
When the meeting ended, Sophie remained behind.
"There's something you should know about Martin."
"What?"
"He didn't come to work this morning. His assistant found his office cleared out."
My pulse jumped.
"Did he resign?"
"No. He left a sealed envelope on his desk addressed to you."
Inside was a photograph from the Rush Street dinner.
Mauro, Adrian, Martin, and Patricia sat around a polished table.
Across from them sat a woman in a pale green jacket.
I knew her.
May you like
She was the independent director who had promised to defend me at tomorrow's board meeting.
