“Ms. Bennett,” he said.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
He glanced at Rebecca.
“Ms. Shaw. Thank you for coming.”
Rebecca offered a restrained nod.
“We're here to understand the discrepancy. We are not here to transfer ownership of any family documents or make commitments on Maya's behalf.”
“Understood.”
Adrian opened the conference-room door.
Eleanor was already seated at the table with a stack of documents. There were no other executives present.
Maya noticed that immediately.
“Where is Victor Hale?” she asked.
Adrian looked at her.
“He is not attending.”
“Did you ask him not to?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he may be a witness to the events we're investigating, and I don't want the discussion influenced by someone whose decisions are under review.”
Maya studied him for a moment.
“That is a sensible answer.”
A flicker of something like embarrassment crossed his face.
“I've been trying to give more of those.”
Rebecca took the seat nearest the door. Maya sat opposite Eleanor.
Eleanor began by summarizing the current translation discrepancy. She showed them the relevant Japanese passage, the English summary, and the internal notes that had been attached to the document.
Maya read the Japanese text silently.
The wording was careful, formal, and unmistakable. The undertaking did not simply express a future intention. It established a condition under which a specific responsibility would remain in force.
“The English summary omits the condition,” Maya said.
Eleanor nodded.
“Yes. We have confirmed that with a second independent translator.”
“Who prepared the original summary?”
“The file lists an outside translation firm, but the approval field is incomplete.”
Maya looked at the supporting documents.
“Who selected the firm?”
“Victor Hale's office recommended it.”
“And who approved the final English version?”
Eleanor turned a page.
“The records are unclear.”
Maya leaned back.
“Then the problem is bigger than the translation.”
Adrian folded his hands on the table.
“That's what we're beginning to understand.”
Maya looked directly at him.
“Before we discuss anything else, I want to ask you a question. Who authorized the final settlement in my father's case?”
Adrian did not answer immediately.
Eleanor opened a folder and removed a photocopy of the settlement agreement.
“According to the corporate record, the settlement was authorized by the executive committee and signed by Victor Hale on behalf of Blackwood Industries. The legal review was conducted by the firm's outside counsel.”
“Was there an independent assessment of my father's translation?”
“We found a reference to one,” Eleanor said. “But not the report itself.”
“Who requested the assessment?”
“The surviving correspondence suggests that your father did.”
Maya looked down at the page.
“My father requested an independent assessment, and Blackwood settled the case without preserving the report?”
“That's what the records currently suggest.”
“Did he agree that his translation was wrong?”
“No,” Eleanor said. “The settlement contains language stating that neither party admits liability.”
Maya gave a small, bitter smile.
“That's not the same thing as admitting the truth.”
“No,” Eleanor agreed. “It isn't.”
Rebecca interjected.
“We need to be careful about conclusions. A missing report does not establish misconduct. But it does create a legitimate reason to investigate the process.”
“Agreed,” Adrian said.
Maya watched him.
“Why are you doing this now?”
“Because the current agreement may be affected, and because I don't want to sign something based on a translation we haven't verified.”
“That explains why you're protecting the acquisition. It doesn't explain why you're investigating my father.”
Adrian accepted the distinction.
“Last night, I treated you as though your job told me everything I needed to know about you. I was wrong. When you identified the discrepancy, I realized that my assumptions had blinded me to a serious question. I don't want to repeat that mistake.”
“Is that why you want my help?”
“Partly.”
“At least you're honest.”
He took a breath.
“I also think your father's work deserves a fair examination. If he was wrongly blamed, I want that established. If he made an error, I want to understand what happened. But I won't ask you to trust me because I've apologized.”
Maya held his gaze.
“Good. Because an apology doesn't repair twenty years.”
“No,” Adrian said quietly. “It doesn't.”
Eleanor placed another document on the table.
“We have a preliminary update from Meridian Records Management. They have located the archive's inventory and are reviewing the authorization requirements. The ledger appears to exist, but access may require cooperation from the Japanese counterparty.”
Maya nodded.
“That's consistent with the original agreement.”
“We would like to coordinate with your attorney on a formal request.”
Rebecca replied before Maya could speak.
“We can discuss that after we receive Meridian's written confirmation. Until then, the family documents remain in our custody.”
“Of course,” Adrian said.
Maya looked at the photograph on her phone, then placed it on the table.
“Have you seen this before?”
Eleanor picked it up carefully.
“No.”
Adrian studied the image.
“That's Victor. And Daniel Bennett.”
“Taken at the old headquarters, twenty years ago,” Maya said. “Victor is holding a blue ledger. We believe it may be the one listed in Meridian's inventory.”