The room became completely silent.
Marcus opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Eleanor looked at him.
Richard waited.
Helen stopped typing.
Arthur did not repeat the question.
He simply remained seated, looking at his grandson.
And for the first time since the investigation began, Marcus understood that the most important question was no longer whether his grandfather intended to remove him from the company.
It was whether he could explain the documents without exposing something he had spent months trying to keep hidden.
Marcus remained silent.
The question his grandfather had asked seemed simple, but answering it was becoming increasingly difficult.
Did he prepare or submit any document using Arthur's name without receiving direct authorization?
Everyone around the conference table was waiting.
Arthur did not raise his voice. Richard did not interrupt. Helen simply waited for Marcus to respond.
Eleanor, sitting beside her father, watched her son with growing concern.
Marcus finally cleared his throat.
Marcus: "I never intended to do anything that would hurt the family."
Arthur: "That is not an answer to my question."
Marcus: "I was trying to move the business forward. We had opportunities that required quick decisions. If I waited for approval every single time, we would have lost them."
Arthur: "So you decided that the rules did not apply to you?"
Marcus: "I did what I believed was necessary."
Arthur: "Did you use my name to authorize those transactions?"
Marcus looked down at the documents.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he finally answered.
Marcus: "I prepared some of the paperwork."
Eleanor immediately turned toward him.
Eleanor: "What do you mean you prepared it?"
Marcus: "I was handling the project. The documents needed to be completed, and I thought the approval would be formalized afterward."
Arthur slowly removed his glasses.
Arthur: "You thought you could use my name first and ask for permission later?"
Marcus: "It was never supposed to become a problem."
Arthur: "That is not how responsibility works."
Marcus: "Grandfather, you do not understand the pressure I was under."
Arthur: "Then explain it to us."
Marcus took a deep breath.
He explained that Victor had introduced him to an investment opportunity involving several properties and a development project. The proposal appeared attractive, and Marcus believed it could generate substantial profits for the family.
He had been promised that the investment would become profitable within a relatively short period.
However, the project required an initial financial commitment.
Marcus believed that if he could secure the funding quickly, the family would benefit before other investors had an opportunity to participate.
He admitted that he had spoken with Victor about the possibility of using the Bennett family's financial resources.
But he insisted that he had never intended to steal money or personally benefit from the transactions.
Marcus: "I thought I was building something important. I wanted to prove that I could manage the business without constantly depending on you."
Arthur listened without interrupting.
Marcus: "Every time I brought you an idea, you asked for more documents, more meetings, and more explanations. By the time everything was ready, the opportunity was usually gone."
Arthur: "There is a difference between moving quickly and acting without authority."
Marcus: "I know that now."
Arthur: "Do you?"
Marcus looked at him.
Arthur: "Because the documents in front of us suggest that this was not one isolated decision. There were several transactions, multiple approvals, and repeated attempts to present incomplete information as though everything had already been authorized."
Marcus became uncomfortable.
Marcus: "I was going to explain everything."
Arthur: "When?"
Marcus: "When the project started generating returns."
Arthur shook his head slowly.
Arthur: "You were waiting for success to justify decisions you had no right to make."
Marcus did not respond.
Helen opened another document on her laptop.
Helen: "There is something else we need to clarify."
She displayed a financial summary.
Helen: "The investment amount recorded in the initial proposal is different from the amount that was eventually transferred. We have identified several additional payments made through related companies."
Marcus looked at the screen.
Helen: "Can you explain these differences?"
Marcus: "Some of the payments were for consulting and administrative expenses."
Helen: "Do you have invoices supporting those expenses?"
Marcus: "I would need to check."
Helen: "Were those invoices submitted to the finance department?"
Marcus: "I believe some were."
Helen: "And the remaining ones?"
Marcus remained silent.
Richard leaned forward.
Richard: "Mr. Marcus, we are not asking you to remember every document immediately. However, we need you to understand that these transactions must be properly explained."
Marcus: "I understand."
Arthur looked at his grandson.
Arthur: "There is one more question I want answered."
Marcus: "What?"
Arthur: "Did Victor know that you did not have my final authorization?"
Marcus hesitated.
That hesitation was enough to make Arthur concerned.
Marcus: "He knew that the documents were still being processed."
Arthur: "Did you tell him that I had already approved the money?"
Marcus looked away.
Marcus: "I told him that the family had agreed in principle."
Arthur closed his eyes briefly.