Chapter 3: The Empire Falls Before Sunrise
At 6:30 a.m., every major business network carried the same headline.
NEXUSCORE CEO UNDER BOARD INVESTIGATION
Matthew watched the television from his office.
Impossible.
None of this was supposed to happen.
He called Lauren.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
A knock interrupted him.
"Come in!"
The General Counsel entered.
He wasn't alone.
Two compliance officers followed behind him.
"Matthew Hayes."
"The board has voted unanimously to suspend your executive authority effective immediately."
"You can't suspend me!"
"We already have."
He laughed.
"You think investors care about my personal life?"
The lawyer slid a folder across the desk.
Matthew opened it.
Photographs.
Medical records.
Security footage.
Timestamped elevator videos.
A forensic report.
Witness statements.
His smile disappeared.
"You..."
The lawyer interrupted.
"Every major shareholder has received identical copies."
"No."
"They haven't."
"They have."
His knees weakened.
"Who did this?"
The lawyer looked directly into his eyes.
"Arthur Sterling."
Silence.
Matthew finally understood.
He hadn't attacked an abandoned woman.
He had attacked Arthur Sterling's daughter.
Across town, federal investigators entered NexusCore headquarters.
Computers were copied.
Financial records secured.
Every pending merger froze.
Trading analysts downgraded the company before the opening bell.
By noon...
The stock had lost nearly forty percent.
Lauren finally called.
"Matthew..."
"They know."
"What?"
"Everything."
"I never told anyone!"
"You didn't have to."
She whispered,
"I'm leaving."
May you like
The line went dead.
He never heard her voice again.
