“Where did you get this?” Nathan asked.
“Samuel gave it to me before he died. I never wanted to use it to pressure you. I wanted to know what you would do when you discovered that people had been forgotten along the way to success.”
Nathan closed the notebook.
“Do you think I knew about this?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I came here.”
Nathan stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
From the forty-sixth floor, the city looked small and distant.
He had spent his entire life expanding Sterling International. He believed he was building a legacy for his family.
Perhaps, while pursuing growth, he had stopped noticing the people left behind.
“I will investigate every record,” Nathan promised.
Arthur nodded.
“I only ask that you find the truth.”
CHAPTER 3: THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO LOOK AWAY
On Monday morning, Clara was summoned to the human resources office.
She feared she was about to be fired.
Over the weekend, rumors about the elderly man had spread throughout the company. Some employees believed Clara had saved her career by helping the chairman’s father. Others insisted she had simply been lucky.
Richard Hayes had not returned to the lobby since Friday evening.
Inside the HR office, the director placed a folder on the desk.
“Ms. Morgan, the chairman would like to speak with you.”
Clara looked worried.
“Have I done something wrong?”
“No. He wants to ask you a few questions about Friday’s incident.”
Ten minutes later, Clara sat opposite Nathan Sterling in his spacious office.
He no longer looked as intimidating as he did in business magazines. Before him lay a report and a cup of untouched coffee.
“I understand you suggested calling my office to verify my father’s identity,” Nathan said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Why?”
Clara hesitated.
“Because he said he needed to see you. I thought we should verify his identity before refusing his request.”
“Did you believe him?”
“I didn’t know who he was. But I believe everyone deserves to be heard before being judged.”
Nathan studied her for a moment.
“Do you know why you were hired at Sterling International?”
Clara shook her head.
“Your résumé was not the strongest among the applicants. But the interviewer told me you were the only person who thanked the cleaning staff for preparing the room before your interview.”
Clara blushed.
“I just thought it was the right thing to do.”
Nathan nodded.
“Perhaps our company has forgotten a few basic principles.”
He handed her a new job description.
“We are forming an internal review team for a restructuring project. I would like you to join as an administrative assistant.”
Clara stared at the document.
“But I have no financial experience.”
“You will receive training. I am not hiring you because you know every answer. I am hiring you because you did not rush to judgment when you lacked information.”
Clara accepted the offer.
Over the following weeks, she worked with the team reviewing records related to Reed Manufacturing.
The job required patience, accuracy, and the ability to compare thousands of documents.
One afternoon, while organizing old financial records, Clara noticed several expenses marked as paid despite missing supporting documents.
She checked the dates, transaction codes, and approval signatures.
The numbers did not match.
She immediately informed her supervisor.
A subsequent review revealed that certain payments had been recorded as completed, while the official files contained no proof that the intended recipients had received the money.
No one immediately concluded that a crime had occurred. However, the discrepancies were serious enough to warrant an independent audit.
Nathan ordered that all relevant records be preserved.
He also ordered a review of the acquisition process.
The first name to appear repeatedly in the historical records was Victor Shaw, the chief financial officer who had overseen the original acquisition.
Victor was now one of the company’s most influential senior advisers.
He was also the man who frequently insisted that businesses should eliminate “unnecessary emotions” from their decisions.
Clara had no idea that her discovery would make her a target for people determined to bury the past.
CHAPTER 4: THE MAN BEHIND THE NUMBERS
Victor Shaw had worked with Nathan for nearly twenty years.
He was intelligent, composed, and skilled at turning controversial decisions into polished financial reports.
When he learned about the audit, he showed little concern.
He simply requested a copy of the preliminary findings.
“These are old records,” Victor said during the executive meeting. “We cannot allow a few accounting discrepancies from twelve years ago to interfere with current operations.”