PART 15:

Richard Holbrook met Scarlet’s eyes and gave the smallest shake of his head, a warning she didn’t need. She was walking into an ambush. Scarlet, Leonard’s voice was measured, professional. Thank you for joining us on such short notice. I didn’t realize I had a choice. She set her laptop on the table and remained standing. You called an emergency session.

I’m here. Yes, well, recent events have made it clear we need to address some significant concerns about your leadership. Thomas stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. Over the past week, you’ve demonstrated increasingly erratic behavior, pursuing unfounded conspiracy theories, accessing secure systems without proper authorization, harassing a former employee. I haven’t harassed anyone.

You showed up at Mason Reed’s apartment uninvited. You’ve been conducting a shadow investigation despite the board’s clear directive to move forward with prosecution. You’ve undermined our collective decision-making process. Thomas pulled out a document. We have sworn statements from security personnel, system access logs, and testimony from multiple board members regarding your unstable conduct.

Scarlet looked around the table. Most of them wouldn’t meet her eyes. Only Richard looked back at her, and his expression said exactly what she already knew. They’d prepared this carefully, built their case methodically, left her no room to maneuver. Is this really how we’re doing this? She asked quietly. No discussion, no hearing my side, just straight to the execution? You’ll have a chance to speak, Patricia said, though her tone suggested it wouldn’t matter much.

But the evidence is fairly conclusive. You’ve acted against the company’s interest, pursued a personal agenda, and displayed judgment that calls into question your fitness to lead. Leonard finally spoke. Scarlett, no one’s questioning your past contributions. You built this company from nothing. We all respect that.

But the stress of recent events seems to have affected your decision-making. Perhaps it’s time to step back, take some time to recover. Stop. Scarlett’s voice cut through the room. Just stop with the concerned mentor routine, Leonard. We both know what this is. This is an intervention. This is a cover-up.

She opened her laptop, and it ends now. Thomas moved closer. Scarlett, whatever you think you found, whatever amateur investigation you’ve been conducting, Sarah, you can come in now. The boardroom door opened. Sarah Chen from IT security walked in carrying a tablet and a thick folder of printed documents. Behind her came two people Scarlett had never seen before.

A man and a woman in dark suits with federal badges clipped to their belts. Leonard’s face went pale. Everyone, these are special agents Morrison and Chen from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Scarlett gestured to the empty chairs. They’ve been very interested in some information we’ve uncovered regarding illegal insider trading operations run through Orion Global’s infrastructure.

This is outrageous, Thomas said, but his voice had lost its confidence. You can’t just bring federal agents into a private board meeting. Actually, I can. As CEO, I have a legal obligation to report evidence of securities fraud. Scarlett nodded to Sarah, who connected her tablet to the main screen. Over the past 72 hours, our forensics team has uncovered extensive evidence of systematic insider trading spanning the last 2 years.

Someone with high-level access to our systems has been using confidential company information to make millions in illegal profits through offshore accounts. The screen filled with financial records, trading logs, encrypted communications. Sarah walked them through it methodically. The pattern of trades that preceded major announcements, the offshore accounts that benefited, the digital trails that connected it all back to specific individuals within Orion Global.

These trades generated approximately $47 million in illegal profits, Sarah said. The money was laundered through shell corporations in the Cayman Islands and eventually distributed to accounts controlled by This is fabricated. Leonard’s voice was sharp. She’s manufacturing evidence to cover up her own mistakes.

We thought you might say that. Special Agent Morrison opened her briefcase and pulled out additional documents. Which is why we’ve spent the last 12 hours verifying everything independently. Bank records, communication logs, travel itineraries. It all checks out, Mr. Graves. You made three trips to the Cayman Islands this year, each one corresponding to major transfers between the offshore accounts and your personal holdings. Leonard sat very still.

The room had gone quiet except for the sound of snow hitting the windows. Furthermore, Agent Chen spoke for the first time. Our investigation revealed that when Orion Global security systems began flagging unusual access patterns, Mr. Graves deliberately framed a low-level employee to redirect scrutiny. He manipulated audit logs, planted false evidence, and used his position to ensure the investigation focused on Mason Reed instead of the actual perpetrator.

Patricia Chen leaned forward. You have proof of this? Sarah pulled up another set of files. Complete proof. Leonard accessed the legacy Helix systems to hide his trading activities, but he didn’t realize those systems still maintained independent backup logs that couldn’t be altered remotely. Every manipulation he made left a shadow copy in the original architecture.

Architecture that Mason redesigned, Scarlett added, which is why Leonard buried him in a basement position after the Helix merger. Mason was the only person who could have found what Leonard was hiding in those systems. Richard Holbrook spoke up for the first time. And the data breach? The files that were stolen? That was real, Scarlett said.

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