Rachel stood. "The revised terms are not approved by this board. Neither is any attempt to withhold preserved evidence outside lawful review. I'm requesting an independent investigation and immediate retention of the recordings."
Preston turned toward her. "You don't have unilateral authority to release company security material."
"I have authority to request an investigation, and I have a board that can vote on preservation and an appropriate disclosure process. Let's put the motion forward."
Susan Bellamy seconded it. Other directors began asking questions. Preston looked around for support and found far less than he expected. A majority approved independent counsel's review, strict preservation, and the preparation of a relevant excerpt for permitted disclosure after privacy and legal checks. They also rejected the revised term sheet until a proper investment review could occur.
Preston stood, gathered his papers, and walked out without another word.
Malik watched the door close. For the first time since the guard had touched his arm, he felt a small shift in the balance of the fight. He was no longer asking one powerful man to listen. The people around Preston were beginning to ask why they had listened to him for so long.
The independent review should have been the point when Preston realized that his position was in danger and chose to cooperate. Instead, he saw the board's decision as a personal betrayal.
He returned to his office and shut the door hard enough to make his assistant look up. For several minutes, he paced between his desk and the window, replaying the scene. Rachel had contradicted him in front of directors who once waited for him to speak. A nineteen-year-old had sat at his table and challenged him in a voice so level that Preston could not even accuse him of causing a scene.
That part infuriated him most. Malik hadn't shouted. He hadn't threatened to withdraw the money. He had forced Preston to answer questions, and Preston had discovered that the answers sounded terrible when spoken aloud.
Diane arrived at his office just after lunch. She had been reviewing media inquiries. Three more outlets had contacted her. A local television producer wanted confirmation that handcuffs had been used. An industry newsletter had requested comment on the financing delay. And Talia Brennan had sent a follow-up asking whether Preston himself ordered the detention.
"The story isn't going away," Diane said.
Preston sat behind his desk. "Then give the public something else to look at."
"Such as?"
"Questions about the investor."
Diane remained still. "What questions?"
"He's nineteen. A kid walking around promising three hundred fifty million dollars. There must be something unusual about the fund."
"Our own due diligence approved his investor group."
"Due diligence doesn't mean there's nothing to investigate."
She waited.
Preston leaned forward. "I want credible people discussing whether Ashworth Capital has the liquidity it claims. Whether its source-of-funds documentation is complete. Whether the board rushed the deal because Rachel wanted to be a hero."
Diane's stomach tightened. "Do we have evidence for any of that?"
"You're missing the point. I'm asking you to raise concerns, not issue findings."