Chapter 7 - The Day They Took Everything From Graham
I didn't want the shares.
That became the argument of the century.
“Give them to Graham.”
Samuel shook his head.
“I cannot.”
“Why?”
“Thomas anticipated that.”
Of course Thomas Reed had anticipated it.
Samuel showed me the trust language.
For three years, the shares could not be transferred to anyone in the Reed bloodline.
“You could vote them however you choose,” Samuel said. “But ownership remains yours.”
I looked at Graham.
He looked annoyingly calm.
“You're enjoying this.”
“A little.”
“You've spent four years telling me to stay in my lane.”
“I don't remember saying that.”
“You communicated it with your eyebrows.”
Samuel laughed.
Graham ignored him.
“Keep the shares.”
“I don't want seven percent of your company.”
“Technically, it's now partly your company.”
“That sentence makes me nauseous.”
For a few hours, it felt like we had won.
Then at 9:15 the next morning, Reed Global's board suspended Graham.
Miles Voss had submitted a second set of documents.
These looked more convincing.
Emails supposedly written by Graham.
Bank records.
Authorization codes.
Even audio clips.
The board knew some could be fabricated, but public pressure was collapsing the stock price.
Graham was placed on temporary leave.
Preston became acting CEO.
The vote was eight to six.
My new shares couldn't help because Thomas's trust gave me voting rights at shareholder meetings, not the board.
When Graham returned from the meeting, he entered the penthouse, removed his tie and poured a glass of water.
That was it.
No anger.
No shouting.
Nothing.
I followed him.
“Say something.”
“I was suspended.”
“I know.”
“Preston is CEO.”
“I know.”
“What would you like me to say?”
“That you're angry.”
“I am.”
“Then act angry.”
He turned.
“What purpose would that serve?”
“Maybe none.”
“Exactly.”
I hated that answer.
I walked toward him.
“Your whole life, you turn everything into strategy.”
“That is how I survive.”
“Maybe surviving isn't enough.”
His expression hardened.
“You want emotion? Fine. I'm terrified.”
I stopped.
He continued.
“I am terrified Preston will destroy the company before we stop him. I'm terrified employees who trusted me will lose their jobs. I'm terrified my father died for nothing.”
His voice lowered.
“And I'm terrified every time you leave this apartment.”
My anger disappeared.
“Avery, you almost got dragged out of a gala because of me.”
“Because of Preston.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
“It is to me.”
He walked away.
I grabbed his hand.
“Stop trying to decide what I can survive.”
His eyes met mine.
“I can't lose another person because of this company.”
“You haven't lost me.”
“Not yet.”
Those two words hurt.
Maybe because I finally understood what was behind the coldness.
Graham Reed wasn't emotionless.
He was terrified of loving anything he couldn't control.
I moved closer.
“You don't get to push me away because the possibility of losing me scares you.”
His breathing changed.
“What are you doing?”
“I don't know.”
“That makes two of us.”
I kissed him.
Not for reporters.
Not because a camera waited outside.
Not because our lawyers said married people should look convincing.
I kissed Graham because I was tired of pretending nothing had changed.
For one second, he didn't move.
Then his hand slid behind my neck.
He kissed me back.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was giving me every chance to change my mind.
When we separated, his forehead rested against mine.
“This is a bad idea.”
“Probably.”
“Our marriage began as a corporate strategy.”
“I remember.”
“You work for me.”
“Not currently. Your company suspended you.”
“That isn't funny.”
“It was a little funny.”
His mouth almost curved.
Then his phone rang.
Reality returned.
The board planned a shareholder meeting in ten days.
Preston intended to remove Graham as chairman permanently.
If he succeeded, he could restructure the company before federal investigators finished their case.
We needed undeniable evidence.
Samuel's documents proved Preston had motive.
They proved Thomas suspected him.
They did not prove Preston personally created the fraudulent transfers.
The breakthrough came from the least dramatic place imaginable.
An old printer invoice.
I noticed the serial number while reviewing Thomas's archived records.
“Graham.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“This invoice.”
“What about it?”
“The authentication device.”
Years ago, Reed Global had used physical security tokens to authorize large international transfers.
Each token produced unique access codes.
Thomas's records listed his assigned device.
The fraudulent transactions used a different serial number.
We searched the equipment logs.
That token belonged to Miles Voss.
“That's enough to prove Miles did it,” I said.
“Not Preston.”
“But Miles can connect Preston.”
If Miles talked.
Graham called Ben.
The FBI moved faster than I expected.
By evening, investigators were preparing to approach Miles.
They never got the chance.
At 7:40 p.m., Miles Voss disappeared.
His car was abandoned near O'Hare.
His phone was found in a trash container.
And forty million dollars vanished from a Reed Global reserve account.
Preston announced publicly that Miles had acted alone.
Convenient.
Too convenient.
At midnight, I received an email.
No sender.
No subject.
One sentence:
If you want the truth, come alone.
An address followed.
Then:
Ask Graham what happened in Zurich in 2018 before you decide whether he's worth saving.
I stared at the screen.
Graham entered behind me.
“What is it?”
I closed the laptop too quickly.
His face changed.
“Avery.”
“Nothing.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“Then don't lie to me.”
He froze.
“What happened in Zurich?”
May you like
Every trace of color left Graham's face.
And suddenly, I knew there really was something he had never told me.
