He considered deleting the file. Then he closed the laptop without touching it. The preservation notice had gone out. The forensic team was already reviewing backups and system logs. He was a lawyer. He understood, more clearly than anyone, how much worse destruction of evidence could make his situation.
Meanwhile, the rumors about Daniel spread in ways neither he nor Celia could fully control. A financial blog published an article suggesting that a secretive investor had embedded himself inside Hale Meridian under false pretenses. The headline called him the billionaire analyst. Some readers applauded him for exposing executive misconduct. Others called him manipulative and asked how an ordinary employee could be expected to trust a colleague who concealed extraordinary influence.
Daniel read the article once. He disliked the mistakes, but he disliked even more the parts that raised fair questions. At Northstar's office he asked Celia to arrange a meeting with three independent employee representatives, none selected by Hale Meridian's executive team. Priya attended, along with Luis and a benefits specialist named Carla Bennett, who had spent twelve years explaining insurance changes to workers who were frightened of losing coverage.
They met in a plain conference room with coffee, sandwiches, and a written statement that nobody was expected to give up any rights by participating. Daniel began by telling them he had no interest in collecting gratitude.
"I have to explain my role," he said. "I was your coworker. I was also connected to a major investor. The investment was properly documented where it needed to be, but I didn't tell you. I thought that helped me understand the company. I'm not sure it was fair to you."
Priya rested her hands on the table. "You helped me with the analysis. You didn't tell me what to write."
"I'm glad. But that doesn't make every choice I made right."
"What do you want from us?" Carla asked.
"I want to understand what would actually protect people if the company survives this. Not a slogan. Specific changes."
Luis thought of the faulty warehouse gate. "If workers report safety and equipment problems, make someone track the answer until it gets fixed. Not mark it resolved because a form was closed."
Carla added, "Benefits should not change in a private meeting while employees learn about it from a paycheck deduction. Give people real notice and a chance to ask questions without risking their jobs."
Priya looked at Daniel. "Protect the people who disagree with leadership. And make it impossible for the same department to investigate complaints against itself."
Daniel wrote down every point. He asked what had been working well, too. Luis mentioned a small training program that had helped employees move into skilled technical roles. Carla described a flexible leave policy the company had recently expanded. Priya said some department managers protected their teams even when executive priorities were unreasonable. They were not asking Daniel to tear the company down. They were asking him to stop the people making it weaker.
Before the meeting ended, Carla leaned forward. "There's one thing you should understand."