Chapter 11 - THE BOARDROOM
Monday morning, Bradley walked into the emergency board meeting looking composed, as if chaos were just another presentation.
The board met by emergency session at 8:00 a.m.
I sat at one end of the table.
Bradley sat at the other with employment counsel.
Serena presented the findings without drama.
Serena listed the evidence: $486,000 in unauthorized vendor payments, the forged $8 million guarantee, false board consent, confidential downloads, the client transfer file, and competitor contacts.
Bradley objected.
"Those are allegations."
Serena nodded.
"Correct."
He looked at me.
"Tell them."
"Tell them what?"
"That this is personal."
I folded my hands.
"The marriage is personal. The invoices are not."
One director, Helen Wu, asked Bradley why Derek's company had received money without work product.
He said market research had been delivered verbally.
Another director asked why he signed the invoices alone.
He said it was efficient.
Then Serena displayed the email draft to Halcyon.
Bradley's face changed.
"That was never sent."
"Why was it written?" Helen asked.
He looked at me.
Again.
Always me.
I finally said, "Stop asking me to rescue you from questions you created."
The board voted.
Seven to zero.
Bradley was terminated for cause pending final investigation findings.
His unvested equity was canceled under the misconduct provision.
His access ended immediately.
He sat completely still.
Four million dollars of expected equity disappeared in one vote.
Not because I took it.
Because he had never earned the right to keep it after what he did.
As security collected his badge, Bradley leaned toward me.
"You planned this."
I shook my head.
"No. You planned it."
Then Helen spoke from the other end of the table.
"Maddie, there is one more issue."
May you like
She turned her laptop toward me.
Bradley had not been acting alone inside the company.
