Chapter 2 — Cracks Beneath the Glass Tower
Chapter 2 — Cracks Beneath the Glass Tower
By sunrise, the executive floor of NexusCore felt strangely different.
Rumors moved faster than emails.
Matthew Hayes arrived expecting another ordinary board meeting.
Instead, he found every director already seated.
No one smiled.
The company's general counsel slid a folder across the polished table.
"We've received notice of a criminal investigation."
Matthew frowned.
"What investigation?"
"The alleged assault of your wife."
Silence filled the room.
Then another director spoke.
"There are also questions regarding undisclosed company assets."
Matthew's expression hardened.
"Who authorized this?"
"No one needed to."
The chairman folded his hands.
"Our fiduciary duty requires us to act."
One by one, additional reports appeared.
Questionable expense accounts.
Real estate purchases.
Conflicts of interest.
Transactions involving Lauren Thorne.
Issues that had been quietly ignored suddenly demanded answers.
The directors voted to place Matthew on immediate administrative leave pending independent review.
For the first time since founding NexusCore, Matthew walked out of the boardroom without authority.
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Outside, reporters had already begun gathering.
He realized the story was no longer his to control.
