Chapter 13 - PAUSE THE MERGER

Maya hit the water hard enough to knock the breath out of her.

For one awful second, all she could see were the rooftop lights wavering above her. Then she pushed upward and broke the surface.

Claire’s laughter carried over the music.

“That’s where interns belong.”

A server set down his tray and hurried toward the pool. Maya grabbed the edge before he reached her and climbed out, soaked and shaking.

Claire had wanted a show. Now every executive on the roof was watching.

Maya found her phone in the shallow end. She wiped it against her sleeve, opened her contacts, and called Evelyn.

“Eli has the bank match,” she said.

“I just received it. The committee’s counsel has it too.”

“Is it enough?”

“They’ve verified the account information. The committee is ready to act.”

“Pause the merger.”

Evelyn confirmed the instruction and ended the call.

Maya stood beside the pool while water ran from her hair onto the stone.

The first alert sounded near the bar. Then another. Richard checked his phone. Northline’s chair pulled reading glasses from his pocket and opened the same notice.

The independent committee had suspended merger approval pending its review of the Reed rights, the undisclosed payments, and the accuracy of the transaction documents.

Claire stared at the faces around her. “She’s bluffing.”

Richard came toward them.

“What is your last name?” he asked Maya, though he already knew.

“Reed.”

He turned to Claire. “Samuel Reed built the software at the center of this deal.”

Claire looked at Maya, then at the phones in everyone’s hands. Her face changed.

Martin pushed through the crowd. “Richard, we need to speak privately.”

“No,” Richard said. “The committee needs to speak with you.”

Martin stopped.

For the first time that night, Claire had nothing to say.

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Then the rooftop doors opened. Two people from the independent committee stepped out with Northline’s general counsel. One of them looked directly at Richard.

“We’ve received another document,” she said. “It concerns your signature.”