For a moment, David looked as though he expected Marcus to shout.
Marcus didn't.
His calmness was worse.
“Leave.”
David looked stunned.
“Marcus—”
“Leave the building.”
“Please.”
“Your badge will be deactivated in ten minutes.”
David stood slowly.
“You're firing me?”
Marcus looked at him.
“No.”
David froze.
Marcus continued.
“You're suspended pending investigation.”
David's shoulders dropped.
“I can explain everything.”
“You already did.”
David walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he turned around.
“Marcus.”
Marcus looked at him.
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
Marcus nodded.
“I believe you.”
David's eyes filled with tears.
“Then why?”
Marcus answered quietly.
“Because intentions don't erase consequences.”
The door closed.
Sarah looked at Marcus.
“What now?”
Marcus looked at the files.
“Now we find everyone involved.”
He picked up his phone.
“Because I don't think David was the architect.”
Sarah frowned.
“What makes you think that?”
Marcus looked at the signature again.
“Because David made mistakes.”
He paused.
“Someone else made plans.”
Chapter 5
By the next morning, Reed Systems had entered crisis mode.
Marcus ordered an internal investigation without public announcement.
No press release.
No social media statement.
No accusations.
Every department connected to Meridian was placed under review.
Employees were interviewed separately.
Financial records were frozen.
Access logs were examined.
Emails were preserved.
And every executive involved in the Meridian relationship was asked to provide documents.
At first, everyone cooperated.
Then one person disappeared.
Victor Hale.
Chief Procurement Officer.
He didn't come to work.
His phone was turned off.
His company car was left in the parking garage.
His apartment was empty.
Marcus stood in the security office looking at footage of Victor leaving headquarters the previous evening.
“He knew,” Marcus said.
Sarah stood beside him.
“Probably.”
Marcus watched the screen.
Victor entered the elevator at 7:42 p.m.
He was carrying one briefcase.
At 7:45, he exited through the underground parking entrance.
Three minutes later, his car left the building.
“Where did he go?”
“We don't know.”
Marcus looked at the security chief.
“Find out.”
The man nodded.
By noon, they had an answer.
Victor's car had been found at a private airport.
He had boarded a flight to London.
Marcus stared at the report.
“Does he have authorization to travel?”
“No.”
Marcus sighed.
“Of course.”
Sarah looked at him.
“Do we contact the authorities?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to know what he's running from.”
Marcus returned to his office.
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Marcus Reed.”
A distorted voice replied.
“You should stop investigating.”
Marcus remained silent.
“Are you listening?”
“Yes.”
“This will get worse.”
“For whom?”
A pause.
“For everyone.”
Marcus leaned back.
“Who is this?”
“You know who we are.”
“No.”
The voice laughed.
“You really don't.”
The call ended.
Marcus looked at the phone.
His chief of staff entered.
“Everything okay?”
Marcus nodded.
“Fine.”
But he wasn't.
He had faced competitors.
He had survived hostile takeovers.
He had testified before government committees.
But anonymous threats inside his own company were different.
Someone believed they had enough power to frighten him.
Marcus decided they were about to learn how wrong they were.
That afternoon, Marcus called an emergency board meeting.
Seven directors appeared in person.
Three joined remotely.
Marcus stood at the head of the table.
“We have a problem.”
The board chair, Helen Crawford, frowned.
“Is this about Meridian?”
“Yes.”
Marcus placed a stack of documents on the table.
“These contracts were signed without proper authorization.”
Several directors exchanged looks.
Helen picked up one document.
“Who signed them?”
“David Mercer.”
A director sighed.
“Then suspend him.”
“He's already suspended.”
“Good.”
Marcus looked at the board.
“But David isn't the only problem.”
He placed another document down.
“This agreement was approved through procurement.”
Victor Hale's name appeared.
“And this payment authorization was approved by finance.”
Another name.
“And these consulting payments were approved by an executive committee.”
Three names.
The room grew tense.
Helen looked at Marcus.
“How extensive is this?”
“We don't know yet.”
One director leaned forward.
“Are you suggesting corruption?”
Marcus answered carefully.
“I'm suggesting we investigate before using that word.”
Another director spoke.
“What about the train incident?”
Marcus looked at him.
“That incident may have revealed the problem. It didn't create it.”
Helen folded her hands.
“What do you want from the board?”
“Full authority to conduct an independent investigation.”
“You already have authority as CEO.”
“Not when directors may be involved.”
Silence.
Helen understood.
“You think someone on this board may be involved?”
“I think we should follow the evidence.”
One director suddenly stood.
“This is absurd.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because you're allowing a personal dispute to become a corporate investigation.”
Marcus's expression remained calm.
“The investigation began when I found unauthorized contracts.”
“But the dispute triggered it.”
“Yes.”
“So this is personal.”
Marcus looked directly at him.
“No.”
He pushed the first contract across the table.
“This is business.”
The director sat down.
The meeting continued for another two hours.
By the end, the board approved the investigation.
But Marcus noticed something.
Helen had barely spoken.
When the meeting ended, she asked him to stay.
Everyone else left.
She closed the door.
“I need to tell you something.”
Marcus waited.
“The night before the train incident, I received a message.”
“From whom?”
“I don't know.”
“What did it say?”
Helen hesitated.
“It said that if Meridian lost its relationship with Reed Systems, certain information would be released.”
Marcus frowned.
“What information?”
“I don't know.”
“Did you save the message?”
“Yes.”
She opened her phone.
Marcus read it.
The message contained only six words.
WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID TWENTY YEARS AGO.