Chapter 4 - NORTHSHORE
Northshore Systems was worth approximately $180 million.
Claire’s employer, Meridian Axis, wanted to acquire it.
Claire was director of strategic partnerships.
Not CEO.
Not board-level.
But close enough to information.
She had access to:
vendor diligence,
executive contacts,
pricing discussions,
integration risk.
Adrian was not technically her employer.
He was chairman of Hayes Capital, one of Meridian Axis’s largest outside investors.
That distinction had made Claire feel safe.
No direct reporting line.
No obvious HR violation.
Except Adrian sat on the transaction advisory committee.
And Claire had been feeding him information.
Not trade secrets, she told herself.
“Context.”
“Color.”
“Market feel.”
Rebecca produced messages.
CLAIRE:
Northshore founders will take anything above 165 if retention terms are clean.
ADRIAN:
Useful.
CLAIRE:
Don’t quote me.
ADRIAN:
Never.
Another:
CLAIRE:
Meridian may walk if liabilities exceed 11.
ADRIAN:
That helps more than you know.
Claire’s stomach dropped.
May you like
Those were not love messages.
They were business intelligence.
