Not—
What has this company done?
What do you want?
That was how the Whitmores understood the world.
Everything had a price.
Everyone could be purchased.
I checked the clock.
9:37.
“At ten o’clock, an evidence packet goes to federal healthcare regulators.”
Grant stared at me.
“At 10:02, a separate packet goes to the Department of Justice.”
Charles stood.
“At 10:05, every independent board member gets the engineering files your office removed from last year’s safety review.”
“Sit down,” Camille said.
Charles glared at her.
“This is extortion.”
“No,” she replied. “Extortion requires a demand.”
He turned toward me.
“What is your demand?”
“I don’t have one.”
That frightened him more.
Grant walked slowly around the table.
“Elena, come on. You’re angry.”
“I’m extremely calm.”
“That’s exactly why I’m worried.”
“You should be.”
“Elena.”
He lowered his voice.
“This morning was wrong. I admit that. But destroying everything my family built because we had one bad moment—”
“One bad moment?”
His jaw flexed.
“I hit you once.”
Camille glanced at him.
The room went silent again.
Grant seemed to realize too late that the boardroom was recording audio.
I looked at him.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saying that clearly.”
His face drained.
Paige whispered, “Grant, shut up.”
At 9:44, the first board member joined by video.
At 9:47, another arrived in person.
At 9:51, the company’s general counsel pulled Charles into the corner and started speaking in a furious whisper.
