Chapter 19 - Adrian’s Case
Adrian faced civil lawsuit from Reed Meridian and criminal investigation over commercial bribery and fraudulent vendor representations.
Two years later he reached plea agreement on financial offenses.
No dramatic twenty-year sentence.
Restitution.
Probation plus limited custody.
Professional consequences.
Melissa Cole returned portion of excessive consulting payments.
Northbridge restructured under court-supervised settlement and lost Reed Meridian business.
Sandra Keene cooperated.
Marcus read outcome.
Felt sadness.
Adrian had once slept in office beside him during early expansion crisis.
People liked simple ending where corruption revealed who someone always was.
Marcus no longer believed that.
Adrian became corrupt through choices.
That did not mean every earlier act fake.
Nor did earlier good work erase later choices.
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Marcus wrote him no letter.
No need.
