The following morning, Alexander arrived at Whitmore Global Holdings before sunrise.
The company’s headquarters occupied a forty-story glass tower in downtown Los Angeles. From the executive floor, the city stretched toward the Pacific Ocean, its streets already crowded with people who had no idea that one of California’s most powerful families was facing a private crisis.
Alexander entered his office and instructed his assistant, Daniel Price, to cancel his meetings.
“All of them?” Daniel asked.
“Every meeting.”
“Your father requested that you attend the board session at nine.”
“Tell him I’ll be there.”
Daniel hesitated.
“There’s another matter. Ms. Hale called three times this morning. She said it was urgent.”
Alexander removed his coat.
“What did she want?”
“She wouldn’t say.”
“Thank you.”
When Daniel left, Alexander opened his laptop and searched the company’s archived financial records.
Most of the documents from twelve years earlier had been transferred to an off-site storage facility. Several files were missing entirely, including the original records for a subsidiary called Northbridge Capital.
He searched the name again.
Nothing.
Then he tried a different approach.
He searched for Margaret Hale.
A corporate biography appeared, describing her as a former financial executive who had retired after a successful career. She had served on several charitable foundations and remained a prominent figure in Beverly Hills society.
There was no mention of the Carter investigation.
Alexander leaned back in his chair.
His phone rang.
Victoria.
He let it ring twice before answering.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“At work.”
“We need to talk about last night.”
“Then talk.”
She sighed.
“Emily is manipulating you. She wants money, and she knows your father feels guilty about what happened to her family.”
“Why would she bring documents that could expose financial fraud if all she wanted was money?”
