Chapter 4 - The House of Cards
The boardroom of Cole Financial was a monument to old money and corporate arrogance. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the Manhattan skyline. At the head of the massive mahogany table sat the European investors, the men holding the keys to a three-billion-dollar merger.
I wasn't in the room, but Sarah was. We had planned the timing perfectly.
From the lobby downstairs, I sat in a private booth with Rosa, who was nervously clutching a cup of decaf coffee. I had an earpiece in, listening to a secure feed Sarah had opened from her laptop in the boardroom.
Through the earpiece, I could hear Adrian. His voice was smooth, confident, dripping with the charisma that had originally fooled me. He was delivering his final pitch.
"...and as the new CEO, I can guarantee that Cole Financial will uphold the highest standards of corporate integrity. Our culture is our greatest asset. We value transparency, ethics, and the well-being of every single employee under our roof."
There was a polite murmur of agreement from the investors.
Then, Sarah’s voice cut through the room like a scalpel.
"Mr. Cole, before we finalize the certification, the Ethics Committee has received an eleventh-hour submission that requires immediate review."
"I'm sure whatever it is can wait until after the signing, Ms. Jenkins," Adrian’s mother, Eleanor, interrupted. She was the current CEO, desperate to pass the crown to her son.
"I'm afraid it cannot," Sarah replied coldly. "It pertains directly to Mr. Cole’s definition of 'corporate integrity'."
Without waiting for permission, Sarah plugged a flash drive into the central projector.
Down in the lobby, I squeezed Rosa’s hand. "It's happening," I whispered.
Through the earpiece, the audio played. It was crystal clear, echoing off the expensive walls of the boardroom.
“Get rid of that baby. It will hurt my career.”
I heard a collective gasp from the European investors.
“Take the money, leave this city, and never contact me again. If you say a word, I’ll report you and say you stole from me.”
“No. The only future ending today is yours.”
The recording clicked off. The silence that followed was so absolute, it felt heavy enough to crush bone.
"That is a deepfake!" Adrian shouted, his voice cracking with sheer panic. "That is AI! My ex-fiancée is a bitter, unstable woman who fabricated this to ruin me!"
"Actually," Sarah countered, her voice eerily calm, "Our forensic tech team verified the metadata this morning. It’s unedited. Furthermore, we pulled the security footage from the camera in your own foyer, Mr. Cole. The one you had installed for insurance purposes. It provides a lovely wide-angle view of you physically blocking your housekeeper from leaving the room while screaming at her."
A chair scraped violently against the floor.
"This meeting is over," the lead European investor said, his thick German accent laced with disgust. "Eleanor, we are pulling out. We will not tie our capital to a firm run by a man who blackmails pregnant women. Expect a formal withdrawal notice within the hour."
"Wait! Wait, please!" Adrian begged, but I could hear the heavy boardroom doors opening and closing as the investors walked out.
I took the earpiece out and smiled at Rosa.
May you like
"Come on," I said gently. "Let's go home. The first domino just fell."
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