Chapter 6 - THE CONSULTANT'S DEFENSE
Grant Rowan came to the office with his own attorney.
That told Audrey something.
Not guilt.
Seriousness.
He denied creating false documents.
“I advised governance.”
“You advised Brenda to document that I was out.”
“I advised her to document operating reality.”
“I was working.”
“Reduced schedule.”
“Not absent.”
Grant nodded.
“That distinction should have been handled better.”
“Better?”
“Yes.”
Audrey hated the word.
Grant continued.
“I did not alter your HR record. I did not execute your electronic signature. I did not instruct anyone to fabricate consent.”
Mason asked:
“Did you know Audrey had not approved the incentive transfer?”
“I knew formal approval was pending.”
“You still modeled it.”
“Yes. Models include pending actions.”
Reasonable.
Then Audrey asked:
“Did your fee increase if Brenda became sole operating founder?”
“Yes.”
“Did you disclose that to me?”
“I disclosed the fee schedule to company management.”
“Meaning Brenda.”
“And finance.”
Mason frowned.
“I received the base fee schedule. Not the transition multiplier.”
Grant looked surprised.
That mattered.
His own disclosures were incomplete.
Then Grant produced emails.
One from Mason.
Subject:
AUDREY LEAVE / AUTHORITY.
Mason wrote:
If Audrey is out earlier than planned, Brenda can act under Section 6.4. We should avoid slowing Summit.
Audrey turned toward Mason.
His face changed.
“You wrote this.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve spent three days acting like Brenda did everything.”
“I didn’t know the leave date was false.”
“You still recommended using it.”
“I believed HR.”
The circle widened.
Then Grant showed another email.
From Kelly.
To Grant.
I CAN CLEAN UP THE MEMBER DOCS ONCE BRENDA CONFIRMS FINAL ALLOCATIONS.
Kelly stood.
“I meant formatting.”
Grant said:
“I assumed that too.”
Nobody laughed.
But who actually used Audrey’s signature?
IT logs narrowed the execution to a twenty-minute window.
Kelly’s laptop.
Office network.
Four people badged into the suite:
Kelly,
Mason,
Brenda,
Grant.
Kelly was on maternity leave but had come in briefly to pick up a charger.
Mason was in a finance call.
Grant was meeting Brenda.
Brenda said she never touched the laptop.
Grant said the same.
Then security footage was reviewed.
No camera covered the desk directly.
But a reflection in the glass wall showed someone sitting at Kelly’s station.
Long enough to execute the document.
The person wore a light-colored jacket.
Brenda wore black.
Grant wore navy.
Mason wore gray.
Kelly wore a cream cardigan.
Everyone looked at her.
May you like
Kelly started crying.
“I can explain.”
