Chapter 8 - Whispers at Midnight
A week after the public collapse of Adrian Cole, financial columns in *The Wall Street Journal* praised Halcyon’s swift surgical precision. My appointment as permanent CEO was ratified with a 98% shareholder approval vote.
Late one Tuesday evening, I sat alone in my father’s sprawling study in his Upper East Side townhouse, reviewing old acquisition portfolios. The mahogany bookshelves smelled of aged leather and pipe tobacco.
The study door creaked open, and my father walked in, holding a crystal decanter of bourbon and two heavy-bottomed glasses. He poured two fingers into each glass and handed one to me.
“You’re working too late, Evie,” Dad said softly, watching the amber liquid swirl. “The board meeting isn't until Thursday.”
“I’m just reviewing legacy portfolios,” I murmured. “Adrian wasn't the first person who tried to sink his claws into Halcyon, and he won't be the last.”
“Vigilance is the price of an empire, my dear,” Dad replied, taking a slow sip. “Adrian was a harsh winter. But you survived him, and you grew stronger.”
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“Did you know about Vanessa from the beginning?” I asked, looking into his eyes. “When Adrian first hired her eighteen months ago... did you suspect?”
Dad gave a faint, weary smile. “I suspected she wasn't qualified based on her resume alone. But I wanted to see how Adrian would handle temptation when given real power. Unfortunately, he proved my lowest expectations correct.”
