Chapter 11 - THE WOMAN WHO WASN'T INVITED|
The next morning, the company's boardroom was full.
I had requested an emergency meeting after the bank froze the transfer. Every director had received the same packet of documents, including the suspicious consulting agreements and the proposed change to the Harbor Point beneficiary account.
Grant arrived twelve minutes late.
He wore a charcoal suit and carried himself with the confidence of a man who believed the room belonged to him.
“Sorry,” he said, taking his usual seat. “Traffic.”
Nobody laughed.
I sat at the far end of the table beside Daniel.
Grant glanced at him.
“Why is legal counsel here?”
“Because we're discussing possible financial misconduct,” I said.
He gave me a cold smile.
“That's a serious accusation.”
“Then let's discuss the documents.”
I placed the first agreement on the screen.
“This contract authorizes monthly payments to Cole Strategic Consulting. Who approved it?”
Grant folded his hands.
“The company did.”
“Show us the board resolution.”
He looked toward the finance director.
The director cleared his throat.
“We have no record of a board vote approving this agreement.”
Grant's expression tightened.
“It was an operational expense.”
“Then why does the agreement carry my signature?”
“Because you approved it.”
“I didn't.”
“You must have forgotten.”
A director named Robert Hale leaned forward.
“Grant, are you saying Claire signed this document?”
“I'm saying the document was properly authorized.”
Daniel placed a second copy on the table.
“This is the original version. The payment amount is different. The amendment was made after the first approval, and the signature certificate indicates it was processed through an administrator account assigned to Grant's office.”
The room became very still.
Grant stared at the paper.
“That's not proof of anything.”
“It is a reason to investigate,” Daniel replied.
Grant turned toward me.
“You're doing this because of Savannah.”
“No,” I said. “I'm doing this because of the money.”
“You're trying to destroy my reputation.”
“Your reputation isn't on the balance sheet.”
A few directors shifted in their seats.
I continued.
“The proposed three-million-dollar transfer was stopped by the bank because the beneficiary details did not match the existing authorization. We also have evidence of payments routed through companies that appear to have no legitimate business operations.”
Grant stood.
“This meeting is a joke.”
Robert raised a hand.
“Sit down, Grant.”
Grant looked at him as if he couldn't believe the instruction.
“You're taking her side?”
“I'm taking the company's side.”
For the first time, Grant seemed to understand that his authority was slipping.
The board voted to suspend his access to financial approvals pending an independent investigation. They also authorized an external forensic review and instructed management to preserve every relevant record.
Grant didn't vote.
He couldn't.
His hands were trembling when he collected his folder.
As he passed my chair, he leaned down.
“You have no idea what you've started.”
I looked straight ahead.
“I know exactly what I started.”
He walked out.
Two minutes later, my phone lit up with a message from an unknown number.
You should ask Daniel what happened to the original Harbor Point contract.
I stared at the screen.
Then I showed it to him.
Daniel read the message and frowned.
“Who sent this?”
“I don't know.”
He took a breath.
“But I think we need to find that original contract.”
“What was changed?”
He didn't answer immediately.
May you like
Then he said something that made my stomach tighten.
“If the original contract is what I suspect, Grant may not be the only person who has been lying to you.”
