Chapter 4 - The Unraveling CertificationSarah Jenkins’ office on the top floor of the Manhattan skyline was quiet, save for the hum of the city below. She sat behind her massive glass desk, reviewing the video file I had sent her the night before.
"It's bad, Evelyn," Sarah said, leaning back and removing her reading glasses. "This isn't just a personal scandal. It's a massive compliance violation. Under federal guidelines, any executive of a firm undergoing a merger must sign a code of conduct certification. If Adrian was using corporate shell accounts to pay under-the-table wages to an undocumented domestic worker—and then threatening her with deportation—he has committed multiple federal offenses."
"Can you withhold the ethics certification?" I asked.
"I have to," Sarah said, a grim smile touching her lips. "If I approve this merger with this file in my possession, I could be disbarred. Cole Enterprises is seeking a fifty-million-dollar buyout from a European conglomerate. That conglomerate has strict ESG policies. If this video is made public, the merger is dead."
"And Adrian's promotion?"
"He'll be lucky if he doesn't end up in a federal penitentiary, let alone get a seat on the board," Sarah replied, closing the folder. "I’m initiating a formal, independent investigation of Cole Enterprises’ payroll records tomorrow morning. Adrian will be suspended the moment the auditors walk through the door."
"Thank you, Sarah," I said, standing up.
"Don't thank me, Evelyn," Sarah said, her eyes warm with admiration. "You’re the one who stood up for Rosa. Most women in your position would have married him anyway and paid her off to keep the family name clean."
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"I was an employment attorney before I was a bride, Sarah," I said, adjusting my coat. "I know exactly what happens to women who keep quiet. I won't be one of them."
As I walked out of the skyscraper, I felt the cool, crisp autumn air hit my face. The pieces were moving. The storm was coming for Adrian, and he had absolutely no idea how to shelter himself from it.
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