Chapter 8 - The Warning
Security moved before either woman understood what had happened.
Elena was pulled behind the table.
Veronica dropped to the floor.
Glass scattered across the carpet.
No second impact came.
Within seconds, the floor was locked down.
Jonathan rushed into the room.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Elena stood.
The security chief approached the broken window.
He examined the glass.
“This wasn’t a gunshot.”
Veronica stared at him.
“What was it?”
He pointed toward a metal object lying near the wall.
A steel bolt.
Industrial.
Heavy.
Someone had fired it from a construction launcher across the avenue.
Wrapped around it was a strip of paper.
Jonathan picked it up with gloves.
Three words were printed in black ink.
STOP THE AUDIT.
Veronica went pale.
“I told you.”
Elena looked at the message.
“Elias doesn’t threaten people with construction equipment.”
“How would you know?”
“Because he prefers contracts.”
Jonathan glanced at Elena.
“Someone else?”
“Maybe.”
Security began reviewing exterior cameras.
Elena returned to the table.
“Finish.”
Veronica stared at her.
“Finish what?”
“What you were telling me.”
“You almost got hit by a steel bolt.”
“And whoever sent it wanted us to stop talking.”
Elena sat.
“So talk.”
Veronica slowly sat across from her.
“Three months ago, Damian told me Elias was preparing something called Project Meridian.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Damian didn’t either.”
“But Elias said when Meridian was activated, Elena Voss would no longer control the board.”
Elena’s fingers tightened around the flash drive.
“When?”
“Soon.”
“How soon?”
Veronica hesitated.
“Damian said before the annual shareholder meeting.”
Jonathan checked the calendar.
“That’s in twelve days.”
Elena looked toward the broken window.
Twelve days.
Maybe less.
Her phone rang.
It was the head of internal audit.
“Elena.”
“What did you find?”
Silence.
Then a strained voice.
“You need to come downstairs.”
“Why?”
“We found another account.”
“How much?”
“That’s not the problem.”
Elena stood.
“What is?”
“The account was opened eighteen years ago.”
She stopped.
“By whom?”
May you like
The auditor took a breath.
“Your father.”
