“Nothing,” he replied too quickly.
I almost admired his nerve. Even now, he thought he could intimidate reality into changing.
His car sped down the driveway as Vivian confronted me.
“You forged something.”
“No.”
“You manipulated him.”
“No.”
“You’re vindictive because he left you.”
I nearly laughed.
Daniel had spent six months arranging to get rid of me. What he didn’t realize was that I’d used those months to examine every transaction involving Mercer Holdings.
The first discrepancy seemed minor: consulting fees paid to a company established just two weeks before Daniel approved its agreement.
The second was worse.
Claire’s brother owned the company.
Then came questionable travel expenses, fabricated vendor invoices, overpriced marketing agreements, and corporate funds passing through accounts Daniel had personally approved. These findings didn’t automatically make him a criminal, but they established what mattered to the board: hidden conflicts of interest, breached internal controls, and false quarterly certifications.
