"Six customers were told they couldn't receive service because of their appearance."
He unfolded another sheet.
"Four said staff questioned their ability to pay before allowing them to sit."
Another page.
"Three complained about being mocked for asking about discounts."
He paused.
"And four described being treated so poorly that they left before receiving service."
Richard glanced toward the documents.
"Those complaints were reviewed."
Arthur nodded.
"I know."
"Most were classified as misunderstandings."
"I know that too."
Richard swallowed.
Arthur lifted one final document.
"This contains the internal notes explaining why the complaints were dismissed."
He studied Richard.
"Do you know which phrase appears repeatedly?"
Richard said nothing.
Arthur looked at the paper.
"Customer does not fit brand profile."
Marcus stared at him.
Vanessa's face flushed.
Arthur repeated the phrase.
"Does not fit brand profile."
He carefully folded the document.
"Tell me, Richard. What did my father's brand profile look like?"
Richard opened his mouth but said nothing.
"He wore work boots. His hands were rough. His clothes smelled of sawdust."
Arthur's voice grew quieter.
"My mother cleaned houses for families who had more money than they knew what to do with."
He looked toward the luxurious interior.
"Would you have allowed either of them to sit in this shop?"
Richard remained silent.
Arthur nodded sadly.
"That's what I thought."
The room felt smaller.
The customers were no longer merely curious.
They were watching something important happen.
A businessman was being forced to explain the difference between operating a profitable company and honoring the people it served.
Arthur was not interested in humiliating Richard.
He wanted an answer.
He wanted to understand how a place founded on compassion had become a place where compassion required permission.
Finally, Richard spoke.
"I made decisions based on the financial information available to me."
Arthur looked at him.
"Then perhaps we should examine that information."
Richard stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
Arthur withdrew his phone.
He pressed a number.
"Good morning, Patricia."
A woman's voice answered through the speaker.
"Good morning, Mr. Bennett."
"I'm at the downtown Monarch location."
"Yes, sir."
"Could you come inside, please?"
"Of course."
Arthur ended the call.
Vanessa glanced toward the door.
Richard looked visibly uneasy.
Less than a minute later, a woman in her forties entered carrying a leather portfolio.
She wore a navy suit and had the confident composure of someone accustomed to difficult conversations.
Her name was Patricia Monroe.
She was the general counsel for Bennett Family Holdings.
Behind her came a younger man with a laptop bag.
Patricia approached Arthur.
"Good morning, sir."
Arthur smiled.
"Morning, Patricia."
She looked at the freshly trimmed hair.
"Your haircut looks wonderful."
Arthur chuckled.
"Young Marcus here does excellent work."
Patricia turned toward Marcus.
"Then thank you."
Marcus nodded awkwardly.
"You're welcome."
Patricia placed her portfolio on the counter.
Arthur looked toward Richard.
"Now, I believe we have some business to discuss."
Richard straightened.
"Mr. Bennett, surely this doesn't require a full investigation."
Arthur regarded him calmly.
"That depends on what we've found."
Patricia opened her portfolio.
She removed a series of documents.
"Over the past four months," she began, "our office has conducted a review of operating practices across the Monarch locations."
Richard's expression changed.
Arthur watched him carefully.
The company had expanded over the years.
Arthur and Evelyn's original shop had grown into a small regional chain.
After Evelyn's death, Arthur had stepped away from daily operations.
He had hired experienced executives and trusted them to protect the organization.
For a time, everything seemed stable.
Revenue increased.
New locations opened.
The company became more sophisticated.
But lately, Arthur had felt uneasy.
Customer complaints had risen.
Employee turnover had accelerated.
Longtime barbers were leaving.
Several neighborhood partnerships had quietly ended.
A business could remain profitable while losing its soul.
Arthur knew that.
What he had not known was how far the damage had spread.
Patricia turned to the first page.
"We found that customer complaints were routinely reclassified as nonactionable."
Richard folded his arms.
"That was a management judgment."
"We also found that several employees were discouraged from submitting written concerns."
Marcus looked up sharply.
Patricia continued.
"And we identified irregularities in discretionary expense approvals."
Richard's face tightened.
"That is a serious allegation."
"It is," Patricia agreed.
Arthur said nothing.
Patricia opened another document.
"Several promotional expenses were approved without the required secondary authorization."
Richard looked toward the younger man beside her.
"Who conducted this review?"
"The finance and compliance teams," Patricia replied.
"Under whose authority?"
Arthur answered.
"Mine."
Richard looked at him.
Arthur's voice was steady.
"You've been managing a company that carries my family's name, Richard."
He paused.
"I believe I'm entitled to know how it's being run."
Richard's expression became defensive.
"Everything I've done has been intended to grow the business."
Patricia nodded.
"That is what we intend to examine."
She did not accuse him of theft.
She did not make dramatic declarations.
She simply placed documented facts on the counter.