"Does it account for the possibility that Northstar's largest customers may leave if delivery times deteriorate?"
Helen hesitated.
"Not fully."
"Then the report is still incomplete."
Victoria entered the room.
"Must every discussion become a trial?"
Adrian looked up.
"Only when the evidence is incomplete."
She took a seat.
"The board has concerns about your independence."
"That is their right."
"They want to know who funds Cole Strategic Holdings."
"The information is available in the appropriate corporate disclosures."
"Then you won't object to an independent review."
"I won't."
Victoria appeared surprised.
"Excellent."
"Provided the same standard is applied to every adviser involved in the Northstar transaction."
Ethan entered behind her.
"That seems reasonable."
Adrian turned toward him.
"Then I suggest we begin with Meridian Advisory Partners and any financial relationships between the firm, Northstar's owners, and Whitmore executives."
The room went quiet.
Ethan took his seat.
"Why those relationships?"
"Because they may affect the independence of the valuation."
"Do you have evidence of misconduct?"
"I have evidence of undisclosed financial connections that require explanation."
Victoria interrupted.
"These are serious allegations."
"They are questions, Victoria. The answers will determine whether they become allegations."
She leaned forward.
"You seem very comfortable questioning the integrity of people who have spent decades building this company."
Adrian met her gaze.
"I have spent twelve years watching what happens when people refuse to question the integrity of those in power."
For a fraction of a second, Victoria looked genuinely frightened.
Then she smiled.
"Perhaps you should explain that statement to the board."
"I intend to."
The meeting continued for another hour.
When it ended, Sophia approached Adrian in the corridor.
"Did you notice Victoria's reaction when you mentioned Meridian?"
"Yes."
"She looked as though she knew exactly what you were talking about."
"That is my impression too."
Sophia glanced around before lowering her voice.
"There's something I found in the archived acquisition files."
Adrian waited.
"A reference to a supplementary audit from twelve years ago. The index says the report was attached, but the attachment itself is missing."
"Which company?"
"Cole Manufacturing."
Adrian's expression tightened.
"Who signed the index?"
Sophia checked her tablet.
"Victoria Hayes."
Adrian remained silent for several seconds.
"Don't search for it alone," he said. "If the report still exists, it may be stored in legal archives or an external records repository."
"I know."
"Do you?"
She gave him a determined look.
"I've already learned what happens when people decide that asking questions is a career mistake."
Adrian nodded.
"Then we'll ask the questions properly."
Sophia started to walk away.
"Mr. Cole?"
He turned.
"If this is connected to your father, you should know that I'm not doing this because I want to impress you."
"I never thought you were."
"I'm doing it because the numbers matter. The people affected by those numbers matter. And someone has been manipulating both."
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
"That's exactly why I trust you."
Sophia's expression softened.
Then she returned to her office.
Across the corridor, Ethan Blackwood watched them through the glass wall.
He took out his phone and sent a message.
The finance analyst is cooperating with Cole. Investigate her immediately.
A reply arrived almost at once.
Understood.
Ethan deleted the conversation.
Then he walked toward the executive elevators, already planning the next stage of his strategy.
The archive room was located on the twenty-sixth floor, behind a security door that required two separate approvals to open.
It was not a place most executives visited.
Rows of locked cabinets contained paper records from mergers, litigation, employee disputes, and financial reviews dating back decades. Newer documents were stored electronically, but older transactions remained partly dependent on physical files.
Sophia arrived at 6:30 p.m.
She had obtained written authorization from Helen Brooks to retrieve the original Northstar review materials and identify the missing audit attachment.
She entered the archive system using her own credentials.
The first search produced several hundred results.
The second narrowed them to a single transaction number.
CM-2047: COLE MANUFACTURING — ACQUISITION REVIEW
Sophia clicked the record.
A list of documents appeared.
Initial valuation.
Risk assessment.
Legal correspondence.
Board recommendation.
Supplementary audit — reference only.
The last entry had no attachment.
Sophia frowned.
She opened the document history.
The file had been modified eleven years earlier, six months after the bankruptcy.
A user had removed the attachment while leaving the index intact.
The system recorded the action as an administrative correction.
The user's name was partially obscured because the archive software had migrated between systems.
Sophia enlarged the record.
The visible letters were enough.
V. HAYES
She sat back.
For several seconds, she simply stared at the screen.
Then she exported the audit log through the authorized records procedure and saved the reference number.
She did not copy confidential files to a personal device. She did not email the information to Adrian. Instead, she documented the missing attachment and prepared a formal request for the legal department to retrieve the original archive backup.