Chapter 6 - Unearthing the Bribe
Knowing the board would try to block him, Ethan worked through the night with a small, trusted team of forensic accountants brought in from outside the company.
What they uncovered was far worse than mere negligence.
Arthur Pendelton had not only ignored safety violations; he had skimmed $2.4 million from the maintenance budget over three years, channeling the funds into off-shore accounts. When Caleb Brooks threatened to go directly to the OSHA inspectors, Pendelton personally signed off on assigning Caleb to the fatal loading dock.
Ethan sat in his private study at 3:00 AM, holding the printouts of bank transfers.
A soft knock at the door startled him.
It was Hannah. She carried a tray with hot tea and toast.
"You should sleep, Ethan," she said gently, using his first name for the first time.
Ethan rubbed his face. "I can't sleep, Hannah. The deeper I dig, the worse it gets. Caleb was murdered by corporate greed."
Hannah set the tray down on his mahogany desk. She stood beside him, looking at the screens filled with financial data.
May you like
"Caleb used to tell me that wealth wasn't the problem," Hannah said softly. "He said power without empathy is what turns men into monsters." She looked down at Ethan, her gaze warm and comforting. "You're not a monster, Ethan. You're fighting for him."
Ethan looked up and touched her hand gently. "I failed him for eighteen months. I won't fail you or Sophie now."
