Chapter 7 - The CEO’s Secret
Clara stared at the screen until the numbers blurred together.
Apex Holdings.
She remembered hearing that name whispered in the executive hallways six months ago during an internal compliance review that had been abruptly canceled by the board of directors. At the time, she hadn't paid attention. She was newly pregnant, focused on her promotion to inventory supervisor, and trusting of the corporate machine that employed her.
Now, the horrifying puzzle pieces slammed into place.
Victor hadn't just been an independent embezzler desperate to cover his gambling debts. He had been a patsy—a disposable middle manager used by the upper echelons of Meridian Pharmaceuticals to launder illegal pharmaceutical research funds through the distribution warehouse inventory. When the federal financial crimes task force began sniffing around the warehouse accounts last month, Arthur Sterling needed a scapegoat.
And what better scapegoat than an inventory supervisor who conveniently died in a tragic, accidental workplace malfunction inside a sub-zero freezer vault?
Her death wouldn't just solve Victor's financial problems; it would permanently close the audit trail for a multi-million-dollar corporate conspiracy.
Clara picked up her phone with a trembling hand and dialed Victoria’s private direct line.
"Vance," Victoria answered on the second ring, her voice crisp and businesslike.
"Victoria, I need you to come over. Immediately. Bring your most secure laptop and the encrypted hard drive from your office safe."
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There was a brief pause on the line. Victoria recognized the tone instantly—the cold, calculating urgency of a woman who had just discovered the trap went much deeper than she thought.
"Ten minutes," Victoria said, and the line went dead.
