Amelia listened.
Then asked what he meant by unrelated.
He gestured toward the audit documents.
"We have a specific incident. A specific branch. Why should we treat it like the entire institution is failing?"
Amelia nodded slowly.
"Because the same approval weakness may exist beyond that branch."
He frowned.
"May exist."
"Yes."
She held his gaze.
"That's why we're testing it."
The director sighed.
"Amelia, every investigation creates disruption. People become afraid to make decisions."
She considered the concern.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Poorly managed investigations could paralyze a company, damage morale, and encourage employees to avoid reasonable business risks.
But ignoring a legitimate control weakness wasn't the solution.
She took a breath.
"Then let's define the scope clearly, communicate expectations, and complete the review efficiently."
The director looked toward her.
She continued.
"We don't need to presume every branch is doing something wrong. We need to verify that the control designed to prevent improper approvals actually works."
For several seconds, the room was quiet.
Then Robert Ellis nodded.
"That sounds reasonable."
The other director looked toward the documents.
Finally, he agreed.
But Amelia noticed how quickly the conversation had shifted from what happened to customers toward how uncomfortable the investigation might become for executives.
That was a temptation she would have to resist repeatedly.
Meanwhile, Martin Keller tried to defend himself.
He participated in the formal employment review with representation and provided a written statement describing the confrontation as a misunderstanding.
He claimed Amelia had been rude.
He said she refused to accept the branch's service model.
And he argued that the card fell accidentally while he was returning it.
The video was examined carefully.
It showed Keller pushing the card across the counter with enough force that it fell to the floor.
The recording did not reveal his private thoughts.
But it contradicted his suggestion that the card simply slipped from a normal exchange.
Witnesses described his dismissive language.
Sofia confirmed that Amelia had asked ordinary questions about the account requirements.
And other employees acknowledged that Keller told her the branch served qualified clientele only before verifying whether she met the published criteria.
Keller's attorney argued that an isolated service failure should not destroy a twelve-year career.
The review considered his employment history.
His performance.
Prior complaints.
And the procedures he was responsible for enforcing.
Then the investigators examined his management of Project Meridian.
That evidence was more significant than the viral video alone.