A director named Angela Park, who chaired the audit committee, slid an independent report across the table. "The records we have reviewed indicate that Daniel raised legitimate questions about acquisitions, supplier payments, and executive approvals. Some were closed without adequate examination. This is broader than a termination dispute."
"How broad?" Victoria asked.
"Broad enough that we've contacted external counsel and instructed forensic specialists to preserve relevant systems. We are also referring certain transaction patterns to appropriate authorities. I want to be careful about what that means. We have concerns, not findings of guilt, and we cannot treat suspicion as proof."
Victoria appreciated Angela's precision even as it tightened the knot in her stomach. Throughout her career she had demanded certainty from other people, often before they had sufficient information to provide it. Now she was being asked to confront serious uncertainty about the business she had spent years building. She looked across the table at Marcus, who did not try to reassure her.
The meeting paused when Benjamin's assistant entered to confirm that Daniel and Northstar's general counsel had arrived. Victoria looked toward the door, half expecting an entourage of advisers or security personnel eager to demonstrate their client's importance. Instead, Daniel walked in wearing a dark blue jacket and gray shirt, the same worn black duffel over his shoulder. Evelyn followed with a compact folder and a tablet, speaking quietly to Angela about the documents they had agreed to exchange.
Daniel took the chair offered to him without making a speech. He thanked the board for accommodating the meeting and placed the duffel by his feet. The absence of theatrical triumph unsettled Victoria more than a dramatic entrance would have. She had spent the previous forty-eight hours imagining an angry man using his influence to embarrass her, and Daniel seemed almost impatient to dispense with anything that was not relevant to the company's future.
Benjamin began formally. "Mr. Carter, we acknowledge the investment group's voting position and the governance rights established by its agreements. You requested this session to discuss internal-control concerns. The board is prepared to hear your presentation."
Daniel nodded. "Thank you. I want to clarify something before we begin. I'm not here to punish Hale Meridian for my termination. What happened at the airport was wrong, and I intend to address it through ordinary channels. But the reason we've asked for this meeting predates that morning by years."
Victoria looked at him. "You worked here for six years. You could have introduced yourself as an owner."
"I could have," Daniel said. "At the beginning, I believed a working understanding of the company would help me invest responsibly. Later, when problems appeared, I believed employees' concerns might be heard more honestly if they were evaluated on their merit instead of on who had the power to raise them. Those decisions are open to criticism, and I'm willing to discuss them."
"You were observing us," she said.
"I was working here. I was also observing, as every good employee does. I learned the names of people responsible for systems that none of our investor presentations mentioned, and I learned how difficult it could be for those people to get an honest answer when they raised a problem."