Chapter 8 – Adrian's First Panic
Adrian stood frozen with the phone still in his hand.
The call had ended.
The silence that followed felt louder than Vanessa's panicked voice.
Across the boardroom, Evelyn watched him without speaking.
His face had lost its color.
"What transfers?" she asked quietly.
Adrian looked at her as though he had forgotten she was still there.
"I... don't know."
It was the first time she had heard uncertainty in his voice.
Not hesitation.
Not caution.
Fear.
His phone rang again.
Vanessa.
He rejected the call.
It rang a second time.
He rejected it again.
By the third call, his patience snapped.
"What?" he barked.
Vanessa was crying openly now.
"They're taking everything."
"Who?"
"The auditors... the compliance team... Adrian, they're searching
