But he recognized that the allegations required formal review.
Rourke was directed to step away from further handling of the incident while the initial evidence was secured.
The sergeant looked furious.
He glanced toward Victoria.
But she wouldn't meet his eyes.
She stood near her SUV, listening to another call from Elliot.
This time, the lawyer had one simple instruction.
"Don't try to manage this through a private agreement. Preserve everything and tell the truth."
Victoria looked toward Malik.
He was standing beside the Ferrari with Lena, carefully explaining how his phone had been damaged.
For a moment, Victoria felt an impulse to walk over and apologize.
Then she remembered the company.
The fifty-one-percent ownership.
The upcoming board meeting.
And the possibility that the man she'd mocked would soon have a decisive voice in her future.
Her shame became tangled with fear.
She wasn't yet thinking about the person she'd hurt.
She was thinking about what his power might cost her.
Malik recovered his phone from beneath the Ferrari.
The display was cracked, but the device still worked.
He used it to contact his attorney.
Rachel answered immediately.
"Malik?"
He took a breath.
"I need help with something."
She listened as he explained the confrontation.
For several seconds, she was silent.
Then asked whether he was safe.
"Yes."
"Are you injured?"
"My wrist hurts. I'm getting it checked."
Rachel nodded.
"Good. Preserve the available evidence and let the independent processes handle the allegations. Don't contact the sergeant directly."
Malik looked toward Victoria.
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Victoria Whitmore called the police."
Rachel became quiet.
For a moment, she didn't speak.
Then said, "That creates a serious conflict with your company's transition."
Malik nodded.
"I know."
She took a breath.
"We need to separate your personal complaint from the corporate investigation."
"Agreed."
Then he looked toward the house.
The Ferrari.
And the small crack in the concrete where his phone had struck the driveway.
For a moment, he felt exhausted.
He had purchased the house because he wanted peace.
He had bought the Ferrari because it reminded him of a promise made beside his father's garage.
And he'd invested in Whitmore Communities because he wanted to examine whether ordinary homeowners were being treated unfairly.
Now all three parts of his life had collided in the same driveway.
He closed his eyes.
Then heard his father's voice in his memory.
Always find out what's wrong.
Malik took a slow breath.
And decided that whatever happened next, he would not allow the truth to depend on who happened to control the company.