Chapter 5 - The Records He Never Expected Her to Read
The next Monday, Lauren entered Hawthorne Holdings headquarters at eight in the morning.
The building stood in Midtown Manhattan, all dark glass and polished marble. Derek had once described it online as “the headquarters of a future Fortune 500 powerhouse.”
Lauren recognized the language.
It was the kind people used when they wanted confidence to sound like fact.
Derek waited in the lobby.
He wore another navy suit, this one looser than the reunion suit. His smile appeared quickly, but did not reach his eyes.
“Lauren,” he said. “You look very professional.”
She glanced at the tablet in her hand.
“I’m here for work.”
“Of course. I thought maybe we could grab coffee first. Talk privately.”
“There is no need.”
Derek followed her toward the elevator.
“I just want to make sure there are no hard feelings.”
Lauren pressed the button.
“Hard feelings do not affect financial analysis.”
He gave a short laugh.
“You’re still like that.”
“Like what?”
“Cold when you want control.”
The elevator doors opened.
Lauren stepped inside.
“No, Derek. I’m clear when I want accuracy.”
During the next ten days, Lauren reviewed Hawthorne’s operations.
The company was not failing.
Not yet.
But it was badly managed.
Debt had been hidden inside regional divisions. Vendor agreements had been inflated. Executive bonuses had been approved despite missed targets. Several contracts under Derek’s Northeast branch showed unusual spending patterns.
Entertainment expenses.
Unapproved consulting fees.
Travel billed to client accounts.
A payment to a company called Vantage Lane Creative.
Lauren stared at the name.
Vanessa’s event-planning business.
She pulled the invoice history.
Over three years, Hawthorne had paid Vanessa’s company more than six hundred thousand dollars for “brand strategy consulting.”
There were no deliverables.
No reports.
No campaign documents.
No proof that any work had occurred.
Lauren called the internal audit director.
“Please pull every payment connected to Vantage Lane Creative,” she said.
“Is there a concern?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Potential self-dealing.”
The audit director went quiet.
By Friday, the evidence was clear.
Derek had approved contracts for Vanessa’s company without disclosure. He had billed personal travel through Hawthorne accounts. He had manipulated branch numbers to receive performance bonuses.
And the branch he claimed to “practically run” was carrying hidden liabilities large enough to endanger the acquisition.
Lauren sat in a conference room with Adrian and the legal team.
“Do you want me to recuse myself?” she asked.
Adrian looked at her.
“Do you believe you can be objective?”
“Yes.”
“Then I trust you.”
Lauren nodded.
The next morning, Derek received a meeting invitation.
Subject: Leadership Assessment Review.
He walked in smiling.
May you like
Then he saw Lauren, Adrian, the auditors, and two attorneys.
His smile disappeared.
