Chapter 6 - Amber’s Fall from Grace
By Wednesday, the fallout from the boardroom coup had reached a boiling point. Amber Collins sat in a small conference room at Harrison Holdings, surrounded by three corporate lawyers and two independent auditors. Her designer handbag sat on the floor like a piece of garbage.
The door opened, and Marcus Vance walked in, placing a single digital audio recorder on the center of the table.
"Ms. Cole," Marcus said calmly. "We’ve spent the last forty-eight hours reviewing your corporate expense accounts. The total amount of unauthorized funds routed to your personal accounts through Michael Harrison’s signature exceeds four hundred thousand dollars. That is grand larceny."
Amber’s eyes filled with frantic tears. She looked at her lawyers, but they were staring at the ceiling; they were paid by the firm, not by her. "Michael told me it was handled! He said it was part of my executive compensation package!"
"Michael didn't have the majority authority to grant that package," Marcus countered. "But we are prepared to offer you a mitigation deal. If you provide the state's attorney with all text messages, emails, and financial communications regarding Michael’s intentional diversion of municipal project funds, the firm will decline to file private criminal charges against you."
Amber didn't even hesitate. She grabbed her phone from her pocket, her fingers shaking so badly she dropped it twice on the table. "I have everything. I have every text from the last two years. I have the messages from the night she went into labor."
"What did he say that night?" Marcus asked, leaning forward.
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"He told me to turn off his phone because he didn't want to hear her crying while we were at the restaurant," Amber wept, sliding the device across the table. "He said she was just being dramatic to ruin his weekend."
Marcus picked up the phone, checking the timestamps. The text had been sent at 2:58 a.m.—exactly nine minutes before Amber picked up my call to deliver her cruel rejection. The trap was officially set, and Michael had built it with his own hands.
