"Then find them."
Charles's voice had become sharper.
Richard stood.
"I'll speak with Victor."
Charles watched him leave.
He knew Richard was withholding information.
The problem was that Charles was no longer certain how much Richard had kept hidden from him.
Later that day, Charles met with the company's external legal advisers.
They discussed the investigation, the historical records, and the potential consequences of any inaccurate statements.
The legal team advised him to provide complete and truthful answers.
Charles listened, but his attention kept returning to the same question.
How much did they actually know?
The following morning, he entered the investigators' temporary office.
Margaret Collins greeted him.
"Mr. Whitmore, thank you for attending."
Charles sat across from her.
"I understand you're reviewing historical financial matters."
"That's correct."
"And I hope you'll recognize that a company of Sterling Tower's size has accumulated thousands of financial records over several decades. Not every reporting adjustment represents misconduct."
"We recognize that," Margaret replied. "Our responsibility is to determine whether the adjustments were properly authorized, accurately recorded, and supported by legitimate business activity."
Charles nodded.
"Of course."
Margaret opened a folder.
"Let's begin with the manufacturing expansion project."
She asked about the original investment, the delays, and the eventual financial losses.
Charles explained that the project had encountered unexpected operational difficulties.
He described it as a challenging period in the company's history.
"Was the project loss fully recorded at the time?" Margaret asked.
Charles paused.
"To the best of my recollection, the company followed the appropriate accounting procedures."
"Do you remember approving a temporary reconciliation structure to distribute certain expenses across operational divisions?"
Charles looked at the document in front of him.
"I remember discussions about reconciling outstanding balances."
"Was Northbridge Advisory involved?"
"I would need to review the historical supplier records."
Margaret turned a page.
"Did you know that Samuel Carter submitted a formal complaint about suspicious supplier payments shortly afterward?"
Charles folded his hands.
"I remember an employee raising concerns."
"Was that employee Samuel Carter?"
"That may have been the name."
"Was his complaint independently investigated?"
Charles took a breath.
"An internal review was conducted."
"Who conducted it?"
"I don't remember the names of every person involved."
Margaret placed a copy of Samuel's complaint on the table.
"This document indicates that Mr. Carter requested independent verification of the supplier contracts. Is there any record showing that this request was completed?"
Charles studied the page.
"I can't answer that without examining the files."
"Was Mr. Carter transferred after submitting the complaint?"
"I believe there was an organizational restructuring."
"Was his transfer connected to his complaint?"
"No."
The answer came quickly.
Margaret made a note.
"How can you be certain?"
Charles shifted in his chair.
"Personnel decisions were made according to business requirements."
Margaret placed another document in front of him.
It was the personnel notice Jonathan had preserved.
The handwritten instruction was visible.
"Employee to be removed from financial review responsibilities."
Charles looked at it for several seconds.
"Do you recognize this document?"
"It appears to be an internal personnel record."
"Do you recognize the instruction?"
"I cannot confirm who wrote it."
Margaret closed the folder.
"We'll need to examine the original."
Charles leaned back.
"Is there a particular reason you're focusing so heavily on an employee who left the company decades ago?"
Margaret answered calmly.
"Because the concerns he raised appear similar to the concerns currently under investigation."
Charles said nothing.
The interview continued for another hour.
He provided general explanations but struggled to answer specific questions about the original approvals and the supplier contracts.
When it ended, Margaret thanked him.
Charles left the office with a controlled expression.
But once he reached the elevator, his composure began to disappear.
He called Richard.
"Where are you?"
"In my office."
"Stay there. I'm coming."
Richard was standing beside his desk when Charles entered.
"They have Samuel's complaint," Charles said.
Richard nodded.
"They've had it for some time."
"They also have the personnel notice."
Richard looked away.
"That doesn't prove anything."
Charles stared at him.
"Did you know about the original approval file?"
"Yes."
"Then why wasn't it disclosed?"
"Because the investigators hadn't requested it yet."
Charles stepped closer.
"They have now."
Richard lowered his voice.
"Victor is retrieving the archive."
"Then make sure it is complete."
Richard hesitated.
"There may be a problem."
Charles's expression changed.
"What problem?"
"Some of the original correspondence was stored in a separate executive archive. We don't know whether every copy is still available."
Charles looked at him.
"Are you telling me that records are missing?"
"I'm telling you that the archive is incomplete."
Charles sat down slowly.
For a long moment, neither man spoke.
Then Charles asked the question he had been avoiding.
"Did you continue the original arrangement after the manufacturing project was closed?"
Richard looked at him.
"The reporting structure remained in use."
"That wasn't my question."
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Some of the adjustments continued."
Charles stood abruptly.
"Without a proper review?"
Richard did not answer.
Charles felt something cold settle in his chest.
The original arrangement had been approved as a temporary measure.
He remembered the meetings.
He remembered the pressure to present the manufacturing project as a manageable setback rather than a major failure.
He remembered agreeing that expenses should be reconciled across several divisions while the company recovered.
At the time, he had convinced himself that the arrangement was temporary.
But he had not asked enough questions afterward.
And when Samuel Carter raised concerns, Charles had chosen to trust the internal review rather than examine the allegations himself.
He had allowed the matter to disappear.
Now the same names were appearing in the financial records again.
"Richard," he said quietly, "what exactly have you been doing?"
Richard looked offended.
"I have managed the financial operations of this company."
"That is not an answer."
"I followed the reporting structure that was already in place."
Charles stared at him.
"Who instructed you to continue it?"
Richard remained silent.
Charles realized that the silence itself was an answer.
Meanwhile, across the city, Daniel was reviewing a message from Helen.
The investigators had requested an additional meeting with Jonathan to authenticate the historical documents.
They had also asked Michael Torres to provide a formal statement about his dismissal.
Daniel forwarded the update to Emily.
Her reply arrived almost immediately.
"Do you think they'll finally believe us?"
Daniel thought about the question.
He remembered how confidently Richard had dismissed his concerns.
He remembered Robert laughing in the meeting room.
He remembered his father's handwritten complaint, ignored for more than two decades.
"I think they'll have to examine the evidence," he replied. "That's all we can ask for."
A few minutes later, Emily called.
"Daniel, there's something I haven't told you."
He sat up.
"What is it?"
"Thomas Blake contacted me this morning."
"What did he want?"
"He asked whether I had given the investigators any internal emails."
Daniel frowned.
"Did you answer?"
"I told him that I had been asked to cooperate with the review."
"What did he say?"
Emily took a breath.
"He told me I should be careful. Then he said that Richard wasn't the only person who had given instructions about the supplier payments."
Daniel became still.
"Did he name anyone?"
"Not directly."
"Emily, did he say anything about Charles?"
There was a pause.
"Yes."
Daniel waited.
"He said that every major reporting adjustment connected to the manufacturing project had been discussed at the executive level."
Daniel wrote the sentence down.
"Did he explain why he was telling you this?"
"He said he was tired of being blamed for decisions he didn't make."
Daniel looked toward the window.
Thomas Blake had spent years discouraging employees from raising questions.
Now he appeared to be reconsidering his position.
"Did he agree to speak with the investigators?"
"Not yet."