Chapter 10 - The Billion-Dollar Mother
By sunrise, the story could no longer be contained.
Rumors spread through Alder Crown.
The CFO had disappeared from the executive floor.
Multiple accounts were frozen.
Emergency directors had been summoned.
Cassidy had activated Protocol 7.
At eight in the morning, Cassidy entered Alder Crown headquarters through the private underground entrance.
She wore a dark maternity suit borrowed from an emergency wardrobe kept in her office suite.
Her hair was tied back.
Two security officers walked behind her.
Employees stared.
Most of them knew Cassidy as the quiet chairwoman who rarely appeared in publicity photographs.
Outside the company, almost nobody knew her face.
Inside, everyone knew her authority.
The board assembled on the forty-seventh floor.
Cassidy entered without ceremony.
“Twelve hours ago, our controls identified executive-level fraud.”
Nobody moved.
“Forty-seven million dollars has been traced so far.”
Whispers erupted.
Cassidy raised one hand.
“Do not assume forty-seven million is the final number.”
The general counsel projected the financial map.
Shell companies.
Fake vendors.
Fraudulent consulting contracts.
Payments to Mercer entities.
Payments to Crestwell Clinical Logistics.
Then came one name Cassidy had not expected.
Ellis Grant.
Chief Operating Officer.
Cassidy looked toward the empty seat where Ellis normally sat.
“Where is Grant?”
Gabriel answered.
“He called in sick.”
Cassidy’s gaze hardened.
“Find him.”
Naomi opened another report.
“Crestwell Clinical Logistics is registered to a trust controlled by Grant’s brother.”
Cassidy felt the conspiracy widen.
Martin had not acted alone inside Alder Crown.
Ellis Grant controlled company operations.
He had access to hospitals through Alder Crown’s healthcare investments.
He could alter contracts.
He could influence vendors.
And he had worked with Cassidy for nearly a decade.
Cassidy looked around the table.
“Effective immediately, all executive credentials are suspended except mine and counsel’s.”
One director objected.
“You’re freezing the entire leadership team?”
“Yes.”
“That could disrupt billions in transactions.”
Cassidy met his gaze.
“My unborn child was included in an internal fraud operation.”
Silence.
“I am willing to disrupt every transaction this company has if that is what it takes to discover who helped them.”
Nobody argued again.
Gabriel received a message.
“We found Grant’s car.”
“Where?”
“At a private airfield.”
Cassidy stood.
“He’s running.”
“Aircraft filed for departure twenty minutes ago.”
“Destination?”
“Cayman Islands.”
Naomi immediately contacted federal authorities.
Gabriel’s team forwarded the financial evidence.
Cassidy stared through the windows at the city below.
Her phone vibrated.
A private message.
Unknown number.
YOU THINK PROTOCOL 7 SAVED YOU.
IT ONLY STARTED THE CLOCK.
Attached was a photograph.
Cassidy opened it.
It showed her new hospital.
The building they had transferred her to only hours earlier.
The photograph had been taken that morning.
Cassidy’s pulse stopped.
Someone already knew where she was going.
Then a second message appeared.
May you like
DELIVER THE COMPANY.
OR YOU MAY NOT DELIVER THE CHILD.
