Chapter 5 - THE SECOND SIGNATURE
At 8:57 the next morning, Adrian rolled into the Cole Meridian boardroom.
Nobody stared at the wheelchair.
Not after last night.
Claire sat beside Grant.
She wore white.
Of course she did.
Marcus leaned toward Adrian.
“Do not lose your temper.”
“I don’t.”
“You threw a chair through a conference room window three years ago.”
“It was a small chair.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
The board chairman called the meeting to order.
Claire spoke first.
Her performance was flawless.
She talked about concern.
Stability.
Investor confidence.
Adrian’s “deceptive behavior.”
Then Grant projected the viral video onto the wall.
Adrian watched himself stand.
Watched the edited version of reality.
When the screen went dark, Claire folded her hands.
“This is not about our personal history.”
Adrian almost laughed.
“This is about whether the company can trust a man who stages elaborate psychological tests on employees, investors, and guests.”
Adrian looked around the table.
“She pushed my wheelchair.”
Claire sighed.
“You were never unable to walk.”
“That doesn’t give you permission to touch my chair.”
For the first time, two board members shifted uncomfortably.
Adrian continued.
“The chair was prescribed after my accident. I use it when pain or fatigue makes walking difficult. My medical records support that.”
Grant interrupted.
“This isn’t a medical hearing.”
“No.”
Adrian looked at him.
“It’s a fraud hearing.”
Grant stopped smiling.
Marcus placed copies of the altered proxy on the table.
“We believe pages were substituted after Mr. Cole signed.”
Claire’s face remained calm.
“Prove it.”
Marcus pushed another document forward.
“We intend to.”
Grant leaned back.
But Adrian noticed his thumb tapping rapidly against his glass.
Nervous.
Good.
Then the chairman cleared his throat.
“There is another issue.”
Adrian looked over.
The chairman slid a document toward him.
It was an internal audit.
Forty-three million dollars had moved through consulting accounts during Adrian’s recovery.
Northline Consulting appeared six times.
Adrian looked at Grant.
“You told me Northline handled cybersecurity.”
“It did.”
“Then why did it receive money from our charitable housing fund?”
Grant answered too quickly.
“Accounting classification.”
Claire interrupted.
“Adrian, you’re reaching.”
“Maybe.”
He turned the page.
Then stopped.
There was an authorization signature on the final transfer.
His name.
His signature.
And beneath it—
Elena Marquez.
Adrian stared.
That made no sense.
Claire folded her arms.
“Your little waitress signed off on a three-million-dollar transfer.”
Adrian looked up.
“What?”
Grant smiled.
“Still think she’s just a kind stranger?”
Adrian’s phone buzzed.
A text from Elena.
May you like
Three words.
DON’T TRUST MARCUS.
