Chapter 8 - Cracks in the OppositionâGentlemen of the board,â Milana spoke into the microphone, her voice resonant, clear, and commanding respect. âI am Milana Diop Hastings. For six months, many of you have wondered why I chose to cover my face.â
She looked across the crowded auditorium, her gaze locking onto the reporters and board members who had once whispered about her.
âI did not cover my face out of shame, disfigurement, or fear,â Milana declared proudly. âI wore my veil because in a world obsessed with superficial appearances, I wanted my husband, my colleagues, and my partners to judge me first by my mind, my integrity, and what I could build.â
A gentle murmur of admiration rippled through the audience.
âAnd now,â Milana continued, turning her eyes toward Richard Hastings, âlet us talk about what Richard Hastings built.â
She pressed a button on her tablet, connecting it to the auditoriumâs giant sixty-foot screen.
The screen lit up with certified cryptographic blockchain logs directly from the Central Bank of Kenya.
âThese are the original, unedited wire logs,â Milana explained to the board. âThey prove that every dollar spent in Nairobi went directly to a registered, legally compliant community clean-water trust. Furthermore, these logs show that the altered drafts submitted to the DOJ were generated from an IP address inside Richard Hastingsâ private office at two AM three weeks ago.â
The boardroom erupted into wild shouts and gasps.
Richardâs face turned bright red, then ghostly white. âThatâs a lie! That evidence is fabricated!â
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Special Agent Reyes from the FBI stepped into the auditorium from the side exit, accompanied by two armed marshals.
âRichard Hastings,â Agent Reyes called out, holding up an arrest warrant. âYou are under arrest for filing false federal reports, corporate fraud, and attempted market manipulation.â
