Chapter 14
1693 Words
Elena arrived at Black Empire Holdings before sunrise.
She had barely slept.
The anonymous warning was still in her mind.
Don't sign the deal.
Adrian Vale isn't the man you think he is.
She had read the words so many times that she could almost see them whenever she closed her eyes.
But Elena wasn't going to make another decision based on fear.
Before trusting the warning, she needed proof.
Grace was waiting outside her office.
“You're early.”
“So are you.”
“I couldn't sleep after yesterday.”
“Neither could I.”
Grace followed her inside.
“What are you going to do about Adrian's offer?”
“Investigate him.”
Grace's eyebrows rose.
“Adrian Vale?”
Elena placed the warning on her desk.
Grace read it.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was attached to his proposal.”
“Did Adrian write it?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“I watched him sign the proposal yesterday.”
Grace's expression changed.
“Then someone had access to the contract.”
“Exactly.”
Before Grace could respond, someone knocked.
Daniel Cross entered.
“Miss Sinclair.”
Elena turned.
“Mr. Cross.”
“I need to speak with you about Madison Heights.”
“Sit.”
Daniel remained standing.
“I won't be managing the restructuring.”
Elena frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I refuse.”
The blunt answer surprised even Grace.
Elena slowly leaned back.
“You refuse?”
“Yes.”
“I don't think you understand how this works.”
“I've managed Black Empire's financial operations for eleven years.”
“And?”
“And I'm not going to let a twenty-five-year-old probationary heiress interfere with a system she doesn't understand.”
Grace's expression hardened.
Elena remained calm.
“Then explain the system.”
Daniel scoffed.
“You wouldn't understand it.”
“Try me.”
“You've been here for less than two weeks.”
“And you've been here eleven years.”
“Yes.”
“Then you should have no problem explaining where the forty-seven million dollars went.”
Daniel's face tightened.
“I already told you. My department didn't authorize that transfer.”
“Your department processed it.”
“We process thousands of transactions.”
“And one moved forty-seven million dollars into a company connected to an old Sinclair investment.”
“That doesn't make me responsible.”
“I didn't say it did.”
Daniel stared at her.
“But you suspect me.”
“I suspect everyone.”
He laughed bitterly.
“That is exactly why you shouldn't be running this company.”
Elena stood.
“Are you refusing my order?”
“Yes.”
“Then you're refusing the board's decision.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“I'm refusing yours.”
Silence filled the room.
He wasn't simply challenging a decision.
He was challenging her authority.
And he wanted everyone to know it.
“Very well,” Elena said.
Daniel looked surprised.
“You're dismissing me?”
“No.”
She picked up a file.
“I'm giving you one final opportunity.”
She placed it in front of him.
“Complete the Madison Heights financial audit by five this evening.”
Daniel looked at the file.
“And if I don't?”
“You'll submit your resignation.”
His eyes widened.
“You can't fire me.”
“I didn't say I would.”
Elena opened the door.
“I said you'll resign if you refuse to perform the responsibilities attached to your position.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You're making a serious mistake.”
“Maybe.”
She met his eyes.
“But this time, I'm making it with my eyes open.”
Daniel walked out.
Grace stared after him.
“You just challenged the head of finance.”
“No.”
Elena looked at the closed door.
“I gave him a choice.”
---
By lunchtime, the entire executive floor knew what had happened.
Daniel Cross had refused Elena Sinclair.
And Elena had challenged him.
At two, Elena received a message from Alexander.
Come to my office.
She went immediately.
Victor stood near the window.
Alexander sat behind his desk.
“You've created another problem,” Victor said.
Elena looked at him.
“What now?”
“You challenged Daniel publicly.”
“He refused an executive instruction.”
“He has served this company for eleven years.”
“And?”
“You can't threaten senior executives every time they disagree with you.”
“I gave him a deadline.”
Alexander raised a hand.
“Victor.”
Victor fell silent.
Alexander looked at Elena.
“Was Daniel's order authorized?”
“Yes.”
“Then you were within your rights.”
Victor looked irritated.
Alexander continued.
“But you need to understand something.”
Elena waited.
“Power doesn't come from giving orders.”
“Then where does it come from?”
“From having people willing to follow them.”
Elena considered his words.
“You can force someone to obey you once,” Alexander continued, “but they may spend the rest of their time waiting for an opportunity to undermine you.”
Elena nodded.
“Then I need to find out why Daniel is refusing.”
“Exactly.”
Victor scoffed.
“You see? Even your grandfather thinks you handled this badly.”
Alexander's expression hardened.
“That isn't what I said.”
Victor went silent.
Elena realized her grandfather wasn't defending her blindly.
He was teaching her.
“You need allies,” Alexander said.
“I know.”
“Not people who always agree with you.”
“Then what kind?”
“People who will tell you when you're wrong.”
Elena thought briefly of Adrian.
He had done exactly that.
She pushed the thought away.
Alexander noticed.
“Something on your mind?”
“No.”
She hesitated.
“Adrian made an offer.”
“I know.”
“Three hundred million.”
Alexander nodded.
“I received a warning not to accept it.”
His expression changed.
“From whom?”
“Unknown.”
She handed him the note.
He read it carefully.
“What do you think?”
“I think someone wants me afraid of Adrian.”
“And do you believe the warning?”
“I don't know.”
Alexander placed the note on his desk.
“Good.”
Elena frowned.
“Good?”
“Doubt is useful.”
He looked at her.
“Fear isn't.”
---
Five minutes past five, Elena's phone rang.
Daniel.
She answered.
“Yes?”
“I've completed the audit.”
“And?”
“I found something.”
“What?”
“You need to see it in person.”
“Send it to me.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Someone has been accessing the financial system remotely.”
Elena's expression changed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Then what did you find?”
Daniel hesitated.
“The transfers weren't made from my department.”
Elena's heart jumped.
“Where were they made?”
“The executive network.”
She froze.
“What does that mean?”
“Whoever did this had access to the highest level of the company.”
Elena looked toward the glass wall.
Anyone on the executive floor could potentially be involved.
“Send me the report.”
“I will.”
The call ended.
Elena immediately called Grace.
“Come to my office.”
Minutes later, Grace arrived.
“So Daniel wasn't responsible?”
“Apparently not.”
“Then someone else is.”
“And they have executive-level access.”
Grace lowered her voice.
“Victor?”
“I don't know.”
“Daniel?”
“He could still be involved.”
“Then who can we trust?”
Elena looked down at her phone.
She thought about Adrian.
Then remembered the warning.
She couldn't tell whether it was meant to protect her or manipulate her.
But she needed answers.
---
At seven that evening, Elena returned to the executive floor.
Daniel was waiting in a conference room.
“I traced the access,” he said.
Elena sat.
“Show me.”
He opened the security records.
Several login attempts had been deleted.
One remained.
Elena leaned closer.
“Whose account?”
Daniel looked at her.
“That is the problem.”
He clicked on the record.
A name appeared.
Elena Sinclair.
She went completely still.
“That can't be possible.”
“The access occurred while you were meeting Richard Lawson at the hotel.”
Elena stared at the screen.
Someone had used her credentials.
Again.
The forged signature.
The leaked information.
The missing money.
The threats.
Now her credentials.
Someone wasn't simply trying to make her look incompetent.
They were building evidence against her.
Daniel looked at her.
“If the board discovers this before we identify the person responsible, they could remove you immediately.”
“Then we find them first.”
“You're not going to tell the board?”
“Not yet.”
“That could be dangerous.”
“So could trusting the wrong person.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
For the first time, Elena saw something different in his expression.
Respect.
“You're still young,” he said.
“I know.”
“But perhaps you're not as inexperienced as I thought.”
Elena stood.
“Then let's find whoever is doing this.”
Daniel extended his hand.
She shook it.
For the first time, Elena had gained an ally where she least expected one.
Neither of them noticed the small red light blinking on the security camera above them.
Someone was watching.
Somewhere else in the building, a computer screen displayed Elena's private security records.
A file opened.
Subject: Elena Sinclair
A new line appeared.
Subject is beginning to identify allies.
The person behind the screen paused.
Then typed another sentence.
Proceed with the next stage.
End of Chapter 14
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