A lender representative joined a separate call that afternoon. Graham's suspension and the conflicting financing announcements had made the bank more concerned, not less. The lender offered a short conditional extension of the Friday covenant deadline into the following week if the board certified that essential operations would remain funded, no extraordinary asset transfer would be executed without approval, and independent financial review continued. Vivian accepted the terms subject to documentation and understood that the extension bought days, not safety. It also meant Elliot's claim that a Friday signing was the only way to save the company was no longer entirely true.
The emergency board meeting planned for Friday afternoon was nevertheless postponed. Elliot presented the regulatory complaint as proof that meeting with Mariah would expose directors to reputational and legal risk, and several members wanted time to consult counsel. Vivian called Mariah herself, uncomfortable with how weak her voice sounded as she explained the decision. Mariah asked whether Northbridge was still scheduled to sign. Vivian said Elliot had moved the target to Monday morning, subject to final board approval, and that counsel was reviewing the terms. The answer was enough for Mariah to understand that the next seventy-two hours could determine whether the company survived as an operating institution or became a collection of assets for sale.
"I won't ask you to disregard an allegation," Mariah told Vivian. "I will ask you to examine its evidence. If you still believe Mr. Vance after doing that, the choice is yours. But make sure you understand the choice you're making."
Vivian ended the call without offering an assurance, then sat alone for almost an hour. She had reached the position of board chair by being capable of difficult judgments. Somewhere along the way, she had become skilled at postponing the particular difficult judgment that involved the man who had selected her for the job.
At the end of his shift, Darius handed over his badge. The security manager who accepted it was someone he had trained years earlier, and the younger man looked more distressed than Darius expected. He quietly asked whether Darius needed a ride home, but Darius said his car was in the garage and he would be fine. As he walked toward the elevators, Paige stepped out from behind the desk and asked whether there was anything she could do. He looked at her with tired kindness and asked whether she remembered what she had heard in the lobby on Tuesday.
"Every word," Paige admitted. She looked down, then added that she had been afraid of contradicting Elliot because he had fired reception staff before for smaller acts of disobedience. Darius told her he understood fear, but asked her to write down her memory while it was still clear. She did not have to publish it or send it to Mariah; she could give it to counsel through the company's formal reporting process. Paige watched him leave, feeling that he had handed her a choice she could no longer pretend not to recognize.