Cole's POV
The HR review request hit my desk at six the next morning.
Victor had filed it formally through the board's governance committee. Three members had already signed off on it. That meant he'd worked the phones all night building support.
I called my lawyer. "How long can we delay this?"
"Two weeks minimum. Maybe three if we argue procedural grounds. But Cole, delaying makes it look like you're hiding something."
"I'm not hiding anything."
"Then let them review. Your relationship with Zara started before her employment. She's transitioning out of her role. There's no policy violation."
"The optics still look bad."
"The optics look worse if you fight it." He paused. "Let the review happen. Control what they find instead of trying to stop them from looking."
I hung up and pu
