Lara stared through the window at the hotel entrance.
“Terminate the Hexton transaction.”
Silence.
Naomi knew Lara well enough not to respond emotionally.
“Entirely?”
“Yes.”
“Under the reputational termination provision?”
“And pre-closing discretion.”
“Understood.”
“Have legal send formal notice to their chairman and general counsel.”
“Tonight?”
“Now.”
Naomi paused.
“Lara, are you all right?”
Lara looked down at the wine soaking her dress.
“No.”
Another pause.
“What happened?”
“I’ll explain after the notice goes out.”
Naomi’s voice became colder.
“I’m starting the call.”
Five minutes after Lara left, Hexton chairman Malcolm Voss received the email.
He was standing near the stage reviewing his speech.
His phone vibrated.
The subject line read:
FORMAL NOTICE — WINDCHE INDUSTRIES / HEXTON GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Malcolm opened it.
Read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
His face changed.
Windche Industries hereby withdraws from and terminates all pending transaction documents and negotiations concerning the proposed strategic partnership with Hexton Global, effective immediately.
He read it twice.
Then called Windche’s general counsel.
No answer.
He called Naomi.
She answered.
“Naomi, what happened?”
“Ask your CEO.”
“What does that mean?”
“The termination stands.”
“Can we discuss this?”
“No.”
“This transaction has taken seven months.”
“We know.”
“Eight hundred million dollars.”
“We know.”
“Lara approved the commercial terms herself.”
“She also revoked them herself.”
Malcolm’s stomach tightened.
“Where is she?”
“She has left your event.”
“Why?”
Naomi paused.
“You truly don’t know?”
That frightened him.
He turned toward the ballroom.
Across the room, he saw Adrien standing beside Selene and Evelyn Shaw.
Evelyn looked furious.
Malcolm ended the call.
Walked directly toward them.
“Conference room.”
Adrien opened his mouth.
“Now.”
Event staff received instructions to stop the celebration presentation.
The orchestra stopped.
The giant screen went black.
Then Hexton communications posted a temporary announcement:
URGENT CORPORATE UPDATE
TONIGHT’S PARTNERSHIP PRESENTATION HAS BEEN CANCELLED
A murmur spread through the room.
Several minutes later, wording changed after legal approved it:
Hexton Global has been notified that Windche Industries has withdrawn from the proposed strategic partnership, effective immediately.
The ballroom erupted.
People reached for phones.
Investors approached executives.
Reporters attending the gala began sending messages.
Adrien’s phone vibrated repeatedly as he followed Malcolm upstairs.
Selene came too.
The conference room was already full.
CFO.
General counsel.
Corporate-development head.
Three board members.
Evelyn Shaw entered last.
She closed the door.
Malcolm turned toward Adrien.
“What happened?”
Adrien looked at Evelyn.
Then Selene.
“It was a misunderstanding.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“A misunderstanding?”
Selene spoke quickly.