Chapter 9 - THE HIDDEN CONTRACT
Marcus ordered a complete forensic audit.
What they uncovered was enormous.
Millions had been diverted through insurance contractors.
Employee claims were intentionally delayed or denied.
The stolen money had been routed through shell companies and eventually into accounts controlled by Voss.
But one document frightened Marcus more than all the others.
A private agreement had been signed three years earlier.
The agreement transferred certain company decisions to an outside investment group.
Marcus had never seen it.
Yet his signature appeared at the bottom.
His general counsel stared at the page.
“That's impossible.”
Marcus shook his head.
“It's forged.”
“Then someone had access to your signature records.”
Marcus thought of the old office archives.
The private vault.
The legal department.
Voss couldn't have done this alone.
Someone higher had designed the scheme.
That night, Marcus returned to the motel.
Olivia was sleeping.
Maya sat beside the window drawing a birthday cake.
Marcus smiled.
“Is that the cake from Rosemary's?”
She nodded.
“And that's you?”
Maya pointed at a tiny stick figure.
“And that's Mom.”
She added another figure.
“Who's that?”
She looked up.
“You.”
Marcus's chest tightened.
“Why am I in the picture?”
“Because you helped us.”
He smiled.
May you like
“I'm glad I could.”
But when he looked at the drawing again, he knew the fight had only begun.
