Chapter 5 - The Investigation Begins
The grand lobby of Meridian Tower emptied out in stunned silence within minutes, leaving Maxwell standing alone by the reception desk while Evelyn hurried down toward the basement locker rooms. Turning sharply toward his younger sister, Maxwell’s expression was a mask of cold, terrifying fury. “Vanessa,” Maxwell said, his voice dropping into a lethal register that made her step back. “In your office. Now.” Ten minutes later, inside the soundproof sanctuary of the executive suite, Maxwell placed Daniel Carter’s cracked ID badge on his mahogany desk like an executioner’s blade. “Explain to me,” Maxwell demanded, “how the widow of the man who pulled me out of a burning building twenty years ago ended up scrubbing our floors, eating stale bread scraps, and being publicly humiliated by my own blood in our lobby.” Vanessa swallowed hard, attempting to regain her composure. “Max, I didn't know who she was! Security reported missing inventory in the supply closets, and—” “Security reports to you, and inventory audits are your direct responsibility,” Maxwell interrupted, slamming his hand flat against the desk. “You targeted a vulnerable worker to feed your own sadistic desire for control. You are stripped of all operational oversight effective immediately, pending a full internal investigation into payroll, HR grievances, and outsourced benefits.”
Pale with shock, Vanessa gathered her designer handbag and stormed out of the office without uttering another word. Turning away from the window, Maxwell dialed his head of private security, Marcus Thorne. “Marcus, drop everything,” Maxwell ordered. “I want a comprehensive forensic audit of every HR record, insurance claim, and survivor benefit payout associated with Daniel Carter from 2004 onward. And find out everything about Evelyn Carter’s current living situation—every bill she owes, every medical debt she carries, and every obstacle in her path. I want a complete report on my desk by sundown.”
