PART 3
Rachel held the phone tightly as she said, “It was not the market, it was not mistakes, it was someone inside the company.”
Ethan felt a cold wave run through him and asked, “Who?”
“Douglas Reed,” she said quietly.
Ethan froze because Douglas was the operations director, the man everyone trusted, the one who constantly spoke about discipline and sacrifice.
“It cannot be him,” Ethan said.
“It is him,” Rachel replied, “he moved money through fake accounts and hidden contracts, and he was not alone.”
Ethan understood immediately and said, “Victor.”
Rachel nodded slowly.
Everything suddenly made sense, including the pressure, the threats, and the desperation behind the merger plan.
“So the merger was your last option,” Ethan said.
“Yes, it was my way to save as many people as possible, but now that the truth is out, I do not have to give the company away,” she explained.
Ethan looked down and said quietly, “Why did you not tell me?”
“Because I learned that showing weakness invites people to destroy you,” she replied.
Avery stepped forward and handed Rachel her small bucket and said, “If you are sad, you can play with us.”