"That's what makes him valuable."
Eleanor looked at Daniel.
"How much are they paying you?"
Daniel frowned.
"What?"
"To spy on me."
"No one is paying me."
"Then why are you doing this?"
Daniel looked at her.
"I'm not doing anything."
He paused.
"I'm just telling the truth."
Those words silenced her.
Marcus looked at him.
"Exactly."
The meeting moved into conference room 38B.
Daniel was asked to sit at the table.
For the first time in his life, he sat in a room where executives usually discussed millions of dollars.
He felt uncomfortable.
Eleanor sat across from him.
Marcus sat at the head.
The lawyers sat beside him.
A large screen displayed financial records.
Marcus began.
"Sterling has lost forty-two million dollars in the last eighteen months."
Daniel stared.
"Forty-two million?"
Marcus nodded.
"Officially, the losses came from international investments."
He clicked the screen.
"Unofficially, most of that money went somewhere else."
The screen showed a network of companies.
Marcus pointed.
"These companies have no employees."
Another slide.
"No offices."
Another.
"No real business activity."
Another.
"But they received Sterling money."
Daniel looked at Eleanor.
She was staring at the table.
Marcus continued.
"Who owns them?"
The lawyer answered.
"Indirectly, Eleanor Whitmore."
Eleanor finally spoke.
"You think that's the whole story."
Marcus looked at her.
"No."
"Then listen."
She took a breath.
"Three years ago, Sterling was close to collapse."
Marcus frowned.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
She looked at him.
"You were already retired."
Marcus remained quiet.
"Creditors were calling every day."
She continued.
"Investors were leaving."
"The board wanted layoffs."
"Thousands of people would have lost their jobs."
Daniel listened.
Eleanor's voice became softer.
"I borrowed money."
Marcus asked,
"From whom?"
"Private investors."
"At what rate?"
"Thirty percent."
Marcus's face hardened.
"Thirty?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because no bank would touch us."
Marcus stared.
"What did you use as collateral?"
Eleanor looked down.
"The company."
Marcus leaned back.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you would have stopped me."
"Yes."
"Exactly."
Marcus looked at the documents.
"So you created shell companies."
"I created investment vehicles."
"To move money."
"To protect Sterling."
Marcus shook his head.
"You exposed Sterling."
"I saved it."
"You gambled with it."
"I had no choice."
Marcus looked at Daniel.
Daniel was silent.
Marcus asked,
"What do you think?"
Eleanor laughed.
"Don't ask him."
Marcus ignored her.
"Daniel?"
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"I don't know enough to decide."
Marcus smiled.
"Good answer."
Eleanor looked at him.
"Exactly."
Marcus continued.
"But you know enough to tell us whether something feels wrong."
Daniel thought.
"Then yes."
"What?"
"The packages felt wrong."
Eleanor looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because the addresses kept changing."
"Meaning?"
"Different companies."
"Different names."
"Different warehouses."
"But the same return address."
Marcus looked at the lawyers.
"Which was?"
Daniel answered.
"Executive Services."
The lawyer checked the documents.
His face changed.
"That's one of the shell companies."
Marcus looked at Eleanor.
"Why did you use the same address?"
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"Because I was running out of time."
Marcus sighed.
The room became quiet.
Finally, Eleanor spoke.
"I know what it looks like."
"It looks like fraud."
"It wasn't supposed to become fraud."
"Then what was it supposed to be?"
"A temporary solution."
Marcus looked at her.
"Temporary solutions become permanent when people refuse to admit they need help."
Eleanor looked at Daniel.
"I was trying to save thousands of employees."
Daniel said quietly,