The CFO nodded.
“Repeatedly.”
“Their board cares about operational culture because integration failures killed two previous partnerships.”
Adrien looked confused.
Evelyn stared at him.
“Lara came tonight because she wanted to see our company outside formal negotiation.”
Selene whispered:
“So this was a test?”
“No,” Evelyn said.
“That’s the point.”
“It wasn’t a test.”
“She attended a gala.”
“You turned ordinary human behavior into evidence against us.”
Adrien stood.
“I’m going to her office.”
Malcolm shook his head.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“Adrien.”
“I built this deal.”
“No.”
The chairman’s voice became hard.
“Hundreds of people built this deal.”
“Legal built it.”
“Finance built it.”
“Operations spent thousands of hours on integration.”
“Windche negotiated in good faith.”
“You were simply the executive whose name appeared on the announcement.”
Adrien stared at him.
Malcolm continued.
“You will not go to Lara Wynn’s home.”
“You will not wait outside her office.”
“You will not contact her personally.”
“All communication goes through counsel.”
Adrien’s face reddened.
“You can’t stop me from apologizing.”
General counsel spoke.
“As CEO, you can create further liability for Hexton.”
“So yes.”
“We can.”
That was the first moment Adrien seemed to understand something larger than the lost deal.
The board no longer trusted him to speak for the company.
Selene grabbed his arm.
“Adrien.”
He pulled away.
“I need air.”
He left the conference room.
Outside, the gala was collapsing in real time.
Guests stood in clusters reading their phones.
Videos circulated.
People who had laughed earlier now discussed how horrible the incident had been.
Memory often becomes more moral after consequences appear.
Adrien noticed.
That made him angrier.
He left through the ballroom.
Nobody stopped him.
Selene followed.
Outside, cameras had already begun gathering near the hotel entrance.
A financial reporter called:
“Mr. Crest, did Windche terminate the deal because of the incident inside?”
Adrien kept walking.
Another:
“Did you know the woman involved was Lara Wynn?”
No answer.
“Are you still CEO?”
That question made him stop for half a second.
Selene pushed him toward the car.
They got inside.
“Windche headquarters,” Adrien told the driver.
Selene stared.
“Malcolm told you not to.”
“I don’t care.”
The driver looked through the mirror.
“Sir, the building will likely be closed.”
“Drive.”
Twenty-three minutes later, they reached Windche headquarters.
The tower was dark except for a handful of upper-floor lights.
Adrien crossed the sidewalk.
Pulled on the glass doors.
Locked.
A security guard appeared inside.
Adrien held up his phone.
“I need to speak to Lara Wynn.”
The guard spoke through the intercom.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“I’m Adrien Crest.”
The guard waited.
Nothing.
“Hexton Global.”
Still nothing.
“I need five minutes.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Call upstairs.”