“You're refusing?”
“I'm refusing to pretend that a serious financial review can be completed in five minutes just because you're angry.”
Alexander's jaw tightened.
Victoria turned toward the door.
“By the way, I don't want the hundred thousand dollars as a personal favor. If you intend to honor your wager, please arrange payment formally. Otherwise, I'll leave the matter to the appropriate people.”
She walked out.
For several seconds, Alexander stood motionless.
Then he called his chief financial officer.
“Find out everything you can about Victoria Hayes.”
The CFO hesitated.
“Why?”
“Because I want to know who she's talking to.”
There was a long pause.
Then the CFO asked a question Alexander hadn't expected.
“Are you sure that's what you want me to investigate?”
Alexander frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means we may have more serious problems than the waitress.”
Chapter 5: The Missing Agreement
The independent review began four days later.
Victoria worked with Daniel Foster and the investors' legal team, reviewing the project documents, translated correspondence, and supporting financial schedules.
She approached the work methodically.
Every figure had to be traceable. Every assumption needed supporting evidence. Every translation had to preserve the precise meaning of the original document.
By the end of the first week, the team had identified three issues.
First, the project's projected rental income depended on agreements that had not been fully executed.
Second, the valuation model assumed that construction would be completed six months earlier than the engineering report suggested.
Third, a subsidiary connected to Pierce Global Holdings had recorded a substantial obligation that did not appear in the summary provided to investors.
None of those findings alone proved fraud.
Together, however, they made the original investment proposal unreliable.
Victoria was reviewing a translated email when she noticed a reference to an agreement dated fourteen months earlier.
The sender had written that the document should be included in the final disclosure package.
The recipient had replied that the matter had already been handled.
But no copy of the agreement appeared in the files.
Victoria checked the document index.
Nothing.
She checked the correspondence archive.
Still nothing.
“Daniel,” she said, “I think we're missing a document.”
He rolled his chair over.
“What kind?”
“A financing agreement involving the development's holding company. The email says it was supposed to be included in the disclosure package.”
“Could it have been superseded?”
“Possibly. But if it was, there should be a record of the replacement.”
They notified the legal team.
Two days later, the lawyers obtained the missing agreement from an external lender.
The document revealed that a substantial portion of the development's expected revenue had already been pledged to secure another loan.
That obligation had not been reflected accurately in the investment summary.
The discovery triggered a broader review of the company's financial disclosures.
Then another problem emerged.
An internal email showed that Alexander had been warned about the discrepancy several months earlier.
His chief financial officer had recommended correcting the figures before the investment presentation.
Alexander's response was brief.
We can resolve the technical details after the funding is secured. The current presentation is sufficient for the decision we need.
The message did not establish criminal intent by itself, but it raised serious questions about what Alexander knew and when he knew it.
The investors suspended negotiations.
Their lawyers notified the relevant regulators and requested preservation of all related records.
When Alexander learned about the email, he summoned his CFO.
“You gave them that document?”
“I provided the records requested by the investigators.”
“You were supposed to protect the company.”
“I was supposed to maintain accurate financial records.”
Alexander stared at him.
“You're finished here.”
The CFO removed his access badge and placed it on the desk.