the lawsuit over his reputation had consumed his savings. The theft allegation had provided the company with a convenient explanation for losing proprietary information, but no one had demonstrated that Daniel benefited from it. Charlotte opened the board minutes and found that the original investigation relied heavily on statements prepared by Richard's legal counsel.
That counsel had been Victor Sloane.
Helen joined her half an hour later with a written interim report. Priya's team had found that the unauthorized data export occurred through a privileged account ordinarily reserved for automated engineering backups. The account's authentication had been used from a workstation in the executive administrative suite, not from the prototype garage. Building access logs showed that Victor's executive assistant, Colin Pike, had entered the suite after normal hours, and a visitor badge had been issued the same evening to a consultant employed by an outside technology investment firm.
"Does that prove Colin copied the files?" Charlotte asked.
"No," Helen answered. "It places him near the access point. The digital evidence is stronger, but it still needs verification. The assistant may have been acting on instructions or using a shared terminal someone else could reach. Priya has asked us to preserve the full log, not just the entries we dislike."
Charlotte nodded. "And the outside firm?"
"Horizon Mobility Capital. One of its principals, Adrian Wexler, was previously associated with Thomas Hail's consulting business. Horizon is also approaching our investors with a proposal to purchase a major interest in the advanced control subsidiary if the product launch slips."
Charlotte stared at her. "Victor told me yesterday that a sale might be the only responsible way to protect shareholder value."
"Then the board needs to know about any relevant interests before considering the proposal. We're tracing beneficial ownership through lawful records and asking the committee to commission an independent conflict review."
The room went quiet. A failed demonstration could depress confidence, a stolen design could strengthen a competitor, and a board chairman with an undisclosed connection to a buyer could profit from both. The theory was plausible enough to frighten her and unproven enough that she refused to speak of it as fact. She asked Helen to arrange temporary restrictions on affected data systems and to notify the appropriate authorities through the company's counsel.
Evan learned the details in pieces, because the investigators were careful not to turn him into the center of a case he had not caused. He was asked to describe the repairs, his father's old blueprints, and the location of the metal box. He provided copies and retained the originals through his own attorney, whom Charlotte's company agreed to fund independently without controlling the advice. The arrangement was uncomfortable, but it gave him a way to cooperate without signing away his family's history.
At home that evening, Lily noticed he was quieter than usual. She brought him the silver toy car and set it beside his dinner plate. He asked why she had given it back, and she answered that he looked like he needed something good to remember. Evan laughed softly, then pulled her onto his lap and let her describe everything that had happened at school.