Alexander's POV
Victoria's documents were real.
David confirmed it by six p.m. Thursday. Sterling had a direct line to a mid-level SEC examiner named Fowler who had processed three accelerated preliminary investigations in the last two years, all targeting Sterling's competitors, all quietly dropped after the target companies either folded or conceded contracts. Clean enough to avoid scrutiny. Dirty enough to be effective.
"He's done this before," David said, sitting across from me in my home office. "Fowler is careful. No money transfers we can find. Probably favors, future considerations."
"Can we use this?"
"Carefully. If we take it directly to the SEC it looks retaliatory and tips Sterling off that Victoria talked." David set his glasses on the desk. "But if we get it to the right
