Chapter 13 - Four Minutes
“Stop the email,” Daniel said.
The officer held up a hand. “We need a warrant to access—”
“It goes out in four minutes.”
Rebecca’s voice came through Daniel’s phone. “Give me the sender domain.”
The officer read it aloud.
Malik, listening on the same call, started working immediately.
Victor sat against a pillar in handcuffs, blood at the corner of his lip from the struggle.
He smiled.
“You can stop one email,” he said. “Not the story.”
Daniel looked at him. “What story?”
“That Carter Systems falsified acquisition numbers and diverted investor money.”
“That’s what you did.”
“Not what the documents say.”
Madeline went still.
Victor laughed. “You signed more than you remember, sweetheart.”
Her face drained.
Daniel turned to her. “What did you sign?”
“I don’t know.”
Victor’s smile widened. “Exactly.”
Rebecca cursed over the phone.
“Daniel, we may have a bigger problem. If Victor fabricated a fraud packet using your stolen files, journalists won’t know what’s real.”
“Three minutes,” Thomas said.
Malik spoke rapidly. “I found the scheduled mail server. Trying to revoke the token.”
Victor leaned his head back against the pillar.
“You built your company on trust, Daniel. Trust is easy to break.”
Two minutes.
Daniel stared at him.
Then an idea landed.
“Lucy’s video.”
Rebecca understood instantly.
“The bribery clip.”
“And our audio from the bridal suite. Publish first.”
Thomas looked at him. “You want to put your own wedding disaster online?”
“I want facts online before his lie gets there.”
Rebecca said, “We can send a legal preservation statement and evidence summary to the same business reporters. No speculation. Just timestamps, police report numbers, and confirmation that authorities are investigating unauthorized transfers.”
“Do it.”
Madeline whispered, “My name will be in it.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You put your name in it when you used my signature.”
One minute.
Rebecca began sending.
Malik said, “I’m in the server.”
Victor’s smile faded.
“Thirty seconds.”
Daniel watched the clock.
At 8:59:54, Malik said, “Token revoked.”
Silence.
Then: “Scheduled message deleted.”
Thomas exhaled.
Daniel did not.
Because Victor started laughing again.
“You think that was the only copy?”
A police officer pulled him up.
Victor looked directly at Daniel.
“Ask your board chairman what he received at six this morning.”
Daniel’s phone rang.
The screen showed the name.
SAMUEL PRICE — BOARD CHAIR.
Daniel answered.
May you like
Samuel did not say hello.
“Daniel,” he said, “the board has called an emergency vote to remove you as CEO.”
