Chương 3
I looked at the man I had once loved enough to risk a fortune on.
“This is me getting out of yours.”
I turned toward the terminal.
Behind me, Aaron called my name again.
This time I kept walking.
My phone vibrated before I reached the glass doors.
The message came from Miriam Shaw, my family attorney.
I opened it with my thumb.
The first line stopped me.
Do not sign the suspension authorization yet.
The second line made me turn back toward the jet.
We found something in Prescott’s disclosures last night that changes everything.
I read the message twice while people streamed past me toward the terminal.
Then I called Miriam.
She answered before the first full ring.
“Where are you?”
“On the tarmac.”
“Is Aaron with you?”
“Thirty yards away.”
“Move farther.”
Her voice had the same dry precision she used when discussing tax exposure or family scandals, which meant she was worried.
I walked toward a service corridor marked for authorized personnel and stopped beside a row of gray utility cabinets.
“What did you find?”
“A transfer.”
“What kind?”
“Three hundred and eighty million dollars moved out of Prescott Technologies over eighteen months through four consulting and licensing entities.”
I pressed two fingers against my temple.
“Legal?”
“Possibly.”
“That is not a comforting word.”
“It gets worse.”
Behind me, I heard Aaron barking instructions at somebody about cars.
“Go on.”
“One of the recipient entities is controlled by Mercer Strategic Partners.”
The name meant nothing for half a second.
Then it did.
“Jasmine’s last name is Mercer.”
“Yes.”
A catering truck rolled between me and the jet, briefly blocking my view of the crowd.
When it passed, Jasmine was standing beside Aaron.
He was speaking to her rapidly.
She looked pale.
“Miriam, are you saying Aaron transferred hundreds of millions to his secretary?”
“No.”
The correction was immediate.
“I am saying corporate money went to entities connected to her family, and those payments were not disclosed properly under the Hawthorne facility.”
“Connected how?”
“Her father owns fifty-one percent of Mercer Strategic.”
I looked at Jasmine again.
She had stopped holding Aaron’s tablet.
Now she was clutching her own phone with both hands.
“Does Aaron know?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have access to board materials.”
“I have access to what they sent us.”
“That was not my question.”
Miriam exhaled.
“No.”
The answer landed colder than I expected.
“If he approved the payments, there should be a record.”
“There are records.”
“What do they say?”
“Approvals came through the CEO authorization chain.”
I shut my eyes.
“That means him.”
“It means his credentials were used.”
“You think someone forged them?”
“I think we do not assume criminal conduct from a spreadsheet.”
That was Miriam.
She could make caution sound like a threat.
“What should I do?”
“Nothing irreversible.”
“A little late for that.”
“You suspended aircraft access.”
“Yes.”
“That can be undone.”
“The patent review?”
“Already triggered by compliance failures before today.”
I turned toward the terminal doors.
Aaron was looking for me.
I could tell because his head moved above the crowd in short, impatient sweeps.
“Does the board know about Mercer?”
“Not from us.”
“Why not?”
“Because we found it six hours ago, Alyssa.”
I heard keys clicking on Miriam’s end.
“And because if those approvals are fraudulent, tipping off the wrong person before preserving the records would be stupid.”
The terminal doors opened.
Daniel stepped outside and pointed toward me.
Aaron followed his hand.
“Too late,” I said.
“Why?”
“He found me.”
“Alyssa, listen carefully.”
Aaron started walking across the tarmac.
“Do not accuse him of anything.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Do not mention Jasmine’s father.”
“I heard you.”
“And do not let Aaron take your phone.”
I almost smiled.
“You really think he would?”
Miriam was quiet.
That silence erased the smile.
“Aaron has more to lose today than he has ever had to lose before.”
He reached me before I could answer.
His face had regained control, but his tie was crooked.
Aaron never wore a crooked tie.
“Who are you talking to?”
I ended the call.
“Miriam.”
His gaze dropped to my screen.
“The Hawthorne lawyer.”
“My lawyer.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
He stopped an arm’s length away.
“Daniel says the acquisition team is already asking why we haven’t departed.”
“I’m sure they are.”
“I need thirty minutes.”
“For what?”
“To fix this.”
I stared at him.
He spread his hands, frustrated.
“The flight authorization.”
“You called me ridiculous ten minutes ago.”
“And now I’m asking you to be practical.”
“You are remarkably fast at emotional transitions.”
His nostrils flared.
“Alyssa.”
There was the warning.
It used to make me soften my voice.
Today it only sounded old.
“We can take commercial flights,” I said.
“You know that isn’t the point.”
“I do.”
He lowered his voice.
“The sellers are already nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because it is an eight-billion-dollar acquisition.”
“That was not my question.”
He looked past me toward the terminal.
“Because they think our cash position may be weaker than reported.”
The words came too smoothly.
I felt something inside me become very still.
“Is it?”
“No.”
“Then why are they worried?”
“Rumors.”
“What rumors?”
He rubbed his jaw.
“Market garbage.”
“Specific market garbage?”
“Why are you interrogating me?”
“Because you asked me to restore access to an aircraft my family owns so you can fly to a meeting about an acquisition your sellers are worried you cannot afford.”
Aaron stared at me.
“That is not what I said.”
“It is exactly what you said.”
“Jesus Christ.”
He stepped away.
For one strange moment, we looked like any married couple fighting beside a parking garage.
Then Jasmine approached us.
“Mr. Prescott.”
Aaron did not turn.
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
He closed his eyes.
“Of course we do.”
She hesitated when she saw me.
I watched that hesitation carefully now.
“What problem?” Aaron asked.
“The finance team cannot access the Mercer files.”
My pulse kicked once.
May you like
Aaron turned.
“What Mercer files?”
