Chapter 7 - CLAIRE'S COMPANY
Claire’s employer placed her on administrative leave.
Not fired.
Not yet.
Internal investigation.
The board separated:
affair,
conflicts,
information sharing,
compensation,
acquisition integrity.
Claire hated the precision.
She wanted one giant accusation she could deny.
Instead there were smaller questions.
Did she disclose the relationship with Adrian?
No.
Was disclosure required?
Probably.
Did she share confidential transaction information?
Some messages suggested yes.
Did she receive financial benefits from someone tied to the deal?
Absolutely.
Did she understand the structure?
Not fully.
That was her defense.
And also her humiliation.
She had bragged:
“He gives me twelve million.”
Now she learned:
some was contingent,
some revocable,
some derived from accounts she did not understand,
and some may have existed because Adrian wanted access.
May you like
Claire sat in her apartment staring at the expensive handbag on the chair.
Suddenly it looked stupid.
