Chapter 6 - THE COMPANY HE THOUGHT WAS HIS
I built Bennett Mobility at twenty-six with a used laptop, one engineer, and money borrowed against my condo. By thirty-five, our medical-transport software served hospital networks across three states.
I met Bradley at a conference.
He was funny, confident, and excellent at sales.
I hired him eighteen months after we started dating.
That was mistake number two.
At first he earned his place. Then success changed his language.
My company became our company.
My board became our board.
My contacts became our network.
When reporters profiled me, he complained they ignored him. When I won an award, Barbara posted that Bradley had made my success possible.
Serena called again after breakfast.
"We traced the payments."
"Tell me."
"Derek's LLC invoiced Bennett Mobility for market research. No work product exists. Bradley approved every invoice below the threshold that required a second signature."
"How many?"
"Thirty-one."
I closed my eyes.
Half a million dollars stolen in pieces small enough to hide.
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Bradley downloaded the cap table last month."
My eyes opened.
"Why?"
"We do not know."
The cap table listed every shareholder, option, voting right, and vesting schedule.
That was not something a chief growth officer needed for sales.
"Freeze his cloud storage."
"Done."
"Copy his company laptop before he can wipe it."
"IT is already on it."
Serena hesitated.
"Maddie, there is an email draft in his account addressed to a competitor."
"Which competitor?"
"Halcyon Transit Systems."
Our largest rival.
"What did he send?"
"We do not know yet. The draft says: 'Once the voting issue is handled, I can deliver the client migration plan.'"
Voting issue.
My stomach dropped.
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Bradley was not planning to build a side business.
He was planning to take mine.
