Chapter 11 - JULIAN'S ROLE
Julian had not ordered anyone to forge Naomi’s signature.
That would have been simpler.
He approved the bid package at the executive level.
He saw her name.
He assumed legal had cleared permissions.
Then one analyst raised a concern:
Do we need updated consultant confirmation?
Julian replied:
If operations says design reflects her recommendations, keep moving.
That email hurt him later.
Not because it proved criminal fraud.
Because it showed he saw uncertainty and chose speed.
Julian defended himself:
“Every executive relies on teams.”
True.
Then the outside investigator asked:
“What do you do when the team flags uncertainty?”
Silence.
Delegation is not abdication.
Julian eventually faced Adrian privately.
“You really think I’m as bad as Blake?”
Adrian answered:
“No.”
Julian looked relieved.
Then Adrian continued:
“I think you use not being the worst person in the room as a shield.”
Julian’s face hardened.
“That’s cheap.”
“Is it wrong?”
Silence.
Julian had not hit Naomi.
He had laughed.
He had approved the bid.
He had chosen speed over verification.
Different failures.
Still failures.
Julian had spent years believing his role was financial discipline.
He did not think document integrity belonged to him.
Until his approval sat at the bottom of the page.
Adrian attended board meetings after the incident but no longer spoke for Naomi.
When a director asked:
“What does she want from us?”
Adrian answered:
“Ask her counsel.”
The director frowned.
“You live with her.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
Adrian understood the trap now.
May you like
Intimacy had repeatedly been treated as delegated authority.
He stopped accepting the delegation.
