Chapter 4 - Mirror Image
The meeting with Jared was the true test. He entered the room with that familiar, predatory swagger, holding a folder he clearly thought was his shield. He didn't look at me—or rather, he looked through me. He saw a consultant, not the woman he had tried to surgically lobotomize.
"Ms. Vance," he said, taking the head seat. "My board is nervous. I need you to bury this audit report before it hits the SEC."
"Mr. Thorne," I replied, maintaining perfect, unblinking eye contact. "Burying things is expensive. And it requires absolute honesty between us."
As we discussed the 'solution,' I played a dangerous game. I started dropping hints about his personal life—about his 'medical issues' at home, about the 'tragic loss' of his wife—using his own talking points against him. I watched his face darken. He enjoyed the performance of being the grieving widower, but when I probed into the timeline of his wife’s 'care,' he grew agitated.
"My wife’s situation is irrelevant," he snapped, his composure slipping.
May you like
"Is it?" I asked, leaning forward. "Because in my experience, the past has a nasty habit of becoming the present. If I’m going to protect your legacy, Jared, I need to know if there’s a recording—or a witness—that could blow this whole thing apart."
His eyes darted to the door. He was terrified. He thought he was hiring a protector, but he had just invited the investigator into his fortress.
