“She was on the attendee list.”
“Not clearly.”
The corporate secretary opened the electronic schedule.
Her name appeared.
Title:
FOUNDER & CONTROLLING PRINCIPAL — LEAD INVESTMENT GROUP
The CEO stared.
“Who changed that?”
The secretary looked offended.
“Nobody.”
“Why wasn’t I told?”
“You were.”
She clicked an email.
Sent four days earlier.
The CEO’s assistant had highlighted the investor’s attendance.
The CEO had replied:
Fine.
One board member slowly leaned back.
The CEO said:
“I receive hundreds of emails.”
Nobody answered.
He continued.
“Fine. I missed it.”
The general counsel said:
“That explains not recognizing her.”
“Exactly.”
“It does not explain the rest.”
His eyes narrowed.
“What rest?”
“The handshake.”
“Cultural misunderstanding.”
“She offered it.”
“I don’t shake hands with every intermediary.”
“She wasn’t an intermediary.”
“I didn’t know.”
“The portfolio?”
The CEO looked toward the table.
“What about it?”
“You threw it.”
He laughed incredulously.
“It slid.”
Three board members looked toward each other.
The security cameras would answer that.
The general counsel continued.
“You blocked the door.”
“For ten seconds.”
“Why?”
“We were negotiating.”
“She said she was leaving.”
The CEO became angry.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
“My job.”
“Your job is protecting this company.”
“Yes.”
“Then help me restore the funding.”
The lawyer looked at him.
“Those may not be the same thing.”
That was the moment the CEO understood the boardroom had changed.
He looked around.
Men who had laughed thirty minutes earlier now avoided his eyes.
He pointed toward the CFO’s empty chair.
“Where is he?”
Nobody knew.
The CEO’s face tightened.
He grabbed his phone.
Called.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then he realized.
The CFO was with her.
The CEO walked toward the door.
The general counsel stood.
“Where are you going?”
“To fix this.”
“Don’t.”
He turned.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re angry.”
“I’m CEO.”
“Exactly.”
The lawyer stepped closer.
“You need to stop creating evidence.”
The room became silent.
The CEO stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
“It means every decision you make from this moment may be reviewed later.”
“By whom?”
She looked toward the withdrawn billion dollars on the screen.
“Everyone.”