Chapter 7 - The Man My Father Trusted
Samuel Reed had worked for Blackwood Holdings for eighteen years.
My father trusted him.
So did I.
When confronted, Samuel denied everything.
Until Evelyn placed the records on his desk.
Then he stopped.
Richard had promised Samuel a senior position after the partnership closed.
In exchange, Samuel quietly suppressed employee complaints and pressured staff who interfered with Vale Capital.
Vanessa had benefited from that protection.
Perhaps that was why she believed nobody could touch her.
Samuel was terminated pending the legal investigation.
Elena was offered reinstatement, back pay, and an apology.
But she surprised me.
“I don't want my old job.”
“What do you want?”
“A better system.”
That sentence stayed with me.
This couldn't end with firing villains.
If Blackwood's culture had allowed people like Samuel to hide complaints, then removing Samuel wouldn't fix the culture.
So I offered Elena something different.
A seat on a new employee standards council.
She accepted.
For the first time since the gala, I felt we were building instead of destroying.
Then my phone rang.
Mia.
She was crying.
“Claire, you need to turn on the news.”
Vanessa had given an interview.
May you like
And she was claiming I had staged everything.
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