The Island Photo

Chapter 4 The Core Wall Collapses

The call came less than an hour later. The caller ID read “Sterling & Locke,” Arthur's corporate law firm. I let it ring twice.

“Serena Vance.”

“Mrs. Pendelton,” David Sterling corrected. He was Arthur’s lead counsel. “I’m calling to strongly advise you against any further rash actions. Arthur has informed me of your departure. I’m sure you’re aware that your contract contains a rather iron-clad non-compete clause. Any disruption to Pendelton Tech’s operations could be seen as a breach.”

David had probably helped draft my pre-nuptial agreement, and his firm handled every major Pendelton Tech contract. Even so, he opened with my married name and a threat.

“A disruption? David, I’m a CFO who resigned. Are you saying the whole company fails when one employee leaves?”

“The timing is problematic. As a courtesy, I advise you to return to the office and ensure a smooth transition. Otherwise, we will pursue legal remedies.”

From my suite at the Four Seasons, the city lights looked very far away. I turned my chair back to the laptop. “Since we’re exchanging courtesies, I have one for you.”

The audit folder was already open. I had kept copies of every receipt because Arthur often forgot which account he had used. Six months of that carelessness now sat in one searchable file.

I attached a spreadsheet to an email. It included scanned receipts, bank statements, and annotated expense reports.

“I just sent a preliminary audit of a special project account Arthur opened six months ago. More than five million dollars in company funds passed through it. The recipient was Chloe Saunders. The charges include rent on a luxury apartment, jewelry, designer clothes, and multiple cash transfers.”

The spreadsheet grouped every payment by date, amount, and recipient. Scanned receipts sat beside the matching bank entries. Arthur's signature approved every transfer.

David said nothing.

“The legal term is embezzlement. A felony. If Arthur wants to discuss contracts, we can do it in a deposition.”

David cleared his throat. “I will have to review this.”

He hung up.

He had called to force me back to work. The spreadsheet ended that conversation.

My phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. *Mrs. P, it’s Liam. The analyst from the third floor. I hope this is okay.*

I had mentored Liam and kept Arthur's flatterers away from his work.

He was one of the few analysts who checked the assumptions under a model instead of dressing up the answer Arthur wanted. I had protected that habit from the culture around Arthur.

*It’s fine, Liam. Is everything alright?* I typed back.

His reply came at once. *No. Chloe just presented her Q4 growth strategy to the board. The one you were supposed to finalize. The financial models are fantasy and the legal compliance section is a minefield.*

For weeks, I had warned Arthur about Chloe's work. He called it a “fresh perspective.” I set the phone on my knee and waited.

The strategy had been assigned to me. Chloe took it over after Arthur promoted her and presented it before I could finalize the financial and compliance work.

Another text from Liam. *Mr. Thorne is on the main conference line. He’s the primary investor for Project Chimera. He’s screaming. He says the proposal is a breach of their due diligence agreement.*

Three dots appeared again.

*He’s invoking the penalty clause.*

*He wants his twenty million dollar deposit back.*

*Doubled.*

Forty million dollars. Pendelton Tech's liquid assets were less than a quarter of that. I had structured the deal with Thorne and written the penalty clause Arthur called “unnecessary and pessimistic.”

The clause protected Thorne if Pendelton Tech misrepresented its compliance position. Chloe's presentation had done exactly that in front of the full board. There was no accounting trick left to buy Arthur more time.

Liam sent one more message. *He’s pulling out. We have until market open tomorrow to return the funds, or his lawyers will file for a corporate seizure.*

My phone rang. Arthur's name was gone from my contacts, but I still knew the number.