Chapter 12 - THE SIGNATURE DANIEL COULD NOT DENY
North Coast responded with a lawsuit.
Malcolm Vane accused Aurelia of manufacturing the ledger to escape valid supplier contracts and block his acquisition offer. He produced compliance waivers signed by Daniel four years earlier, authorizing North Coast to mark stones during a holiday-production emergency.
Daniel remembered the crisis. A Canadian mine closure delayed inventory before Aurelia’s largest launch. Harrison requested temporary off-site marking. Elise objected that external equipment could compromise security.
Daniel overruled her.
“We can audit it afterward,” he had said.
The waiver gave North Coast technical access needed to copy the mark.
Daniel had not intended fraud. His shortcut made it possible.
Vane released an email where Elise wrote, If Daniel signs this, he will hand them the key and call it efficiency.
The public image of Daniel shifted. He was no longer simply the grieving founder uncovering betrayal. He was the executive whose decision opened the system, then left the company while others managed the consequences.
Aurelia’s board suspended his voting privileges under a conflict provision. Lily’s trust abstained because Harrison remained compromised. North Coast began purchasing shares from frightened investors.
Vane needed eight percent more to control the board.
Victoria offered Daniel evidence in exchange for reinstatement, money, and a public statement that she had merely followed policy in the boutique.
He refused to erase Lily’s humiliation.
“Then enjoy losing your company,” Victoria said.
She took her evidence to Vane instead.
The next morning, North Coast announced it possessed internal recordings proving Daniel knew duplicate marks existed before Elise’s death.
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The recording captured Daniel saying, “If three stones got through, bury the report until after the launch.”
It was his voice.
