The print was deliberately turned facedown so the cameras could not capture account information, but the board chairman was allowed to examine it.
“Independent forensic review,” Clare said.
“The transfers were authorized from an executive terminal on Hail Group’s private network after my access card had already been logged out of the building.”
The chairman read silently.
Richard scoffed.
“An outside report commissioned by a bitter ex-wife proves nothing.”
The attorney carrying the second envelope finally spoke.
“It wasn’t commissioned by Mrs.
Donovan.”
Richard turned.
“Miss Donovan,” Clare corrected softly.
The attorney nodded.
“It was commissioned by our office as part of due diligence before a proposed investment in Hail Group.”
That changed the room.
Until that moment, Richard could frame everything as domestic resentment.
But investors understood due diligence.
Board members understood it better.
And Richard understood immediately that the billionaire whose aircraft had delivered Clare to Manhattan was not merely a wealthy friend.
He was the man currently deciding whether Hail Group received the capital Richard needed for its next expansion.
Richard’s board chairman looked up sharply.
“You investigated the old diversion?”
“We investigate anything that affects governance risk,” the attorney replied.
“And?”
The attorney looked at Clare.
She removed a second sheet.
“The transfers originated from Richard’s executive terminal.”
Richard laughed once.
Too loudly.
“Anyone could have used it.”
“That’s what we thought,” Clare said.
She drew out another report.
“So they checked building access logs.”
Richard stopped laughing.
Three years ago, he had controlled the internal investigation.
Clare had been dismissed before she could see the full records.
Security data had been summarized rather than released.
Files disappeared into counsel’s office.
Board members were told the evidence was sensitive.
But Hail Group had recently migrated its archive systems during the investment review.
Backups that Richard believed had been overwritten still existed in an off-site compliance repository.
The archived logs showed only two people had entered the executive floor during the relevant window.
Richard.
And his chief financial officer.
The CFO had died the previous year, but before his death he had left behind something Richard had never known existed: a recorded compliance interview from the week Clare was fired.
Clare did not reveal that yet.
Richard was already reaching for the simpler explanation.
“My CFO handled transfers all the time.”
“From your terminal?”
“When necessary.”
“Using my credentials?”
“I don’t know what he did.”
Clare nodded.
“Good.
Then let’s talk about what you did know.”
Richard’s expression hardened.
“This is absurd.”
