Chapter 3 - The Boy in the VideoJayden refused to go to school.
Marcus found him sitting on the edge of his bed in the Carter family home, still wearing his pajamas at nine thirty.
His backpack was packed.
His shoes were beside the door.
But he had not moved.
Marcus leaned against the frame.
“Want to tell me?”
Jayden stared at his tablet.
The viral video was paused on-screen.
Marcus crossed the room and sat beside him.
“Kids saw it?”
“All of them.”
“What did they say?”
Jayden shrugged.
That shrug was new.
Marcus hated it immediately.
“Jayden.”
“One kid said I only got an apology because you’re rich.”
Marcus looked toward the window.
Another child had accidentally found the sharpest part of the story.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you think he was right?”
Jayden looked at him.
“I don’t know.”
Marcus rested his elbows on his knees.
“I’ve been thinking about that too.”
“Would Mr. Hale have apologized if you didn’t own the company?”
“Probably not that night.”
“Then it was because you’re rich.”
“It was because he was afraid of consequences.”
“That’s different?”
“Not enough.”
Jayden was quiet.
Marcus realized no board battle mattered if his son learned the wrong lesson from what had happened.
“When I was your age,” Marcus said, “your grandfather took me to a dealership.”
Jayden looked up.
“We couldn’t afford anything there. Grandpa just loved cars.”
“Like me?”
“Exactly like you.”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“He asked a salesman if we could look at a used Mercedes. The salesman told him he should try the bus lot down the road.”
Jayden frowned.
“What’s a bus lot?”
Marcus laughed softly.
“There wasn’t one. He was insulting him.”
“Because Grandpa didn’t have money?”
“Because he assumed he didn’t.”
“What did Grandpa do?”
“He thanked the man and walked out.”
“Why?”
“Because he said dignity was something you carried away with you, not something another person could hand you.”
Jayden looked at the frozen image of Richard.
“Did you get mad?”
“I was furious.”
“What happened to the salesman?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No.”
Marcus nodded.
“That’s one reason I built this company differently.”
Jayden studied him.
“Did you?”
The question struck harder than Marcus expected.
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Hale works for your company.”
Marcus looked away.
Children had brutal ways of arriving at truth without strategy.
“Yes,” he said.
“He does.”
“Then if he treats people like that, isn’t that your company too?”
Marcus said nothing for several seconds.
“You’re right.”
Jayden blinked, surprised.
Marcus continued.
“Being responsible doesn’t mean I personally caused it. It means I don’t get to pretend it has nothing to do with me.”
Jayden picked at the blanket.
“Are you firing him?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I want the truth before the punishment.”
“He yelled at me.”
“I know.”
“That’s true.”
“It is.”
Marcus put an arm around him.
“But there may be more truth.”
Jayden leaned against him.
Marcus’s phone vibrated.
He ignored it.
“Do you want me to stay home?”
Jayden shook his head.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“I want to go.”
Marcus smiled.
“Then I’ll drive you.”
At school, he expected reporters.
There were none.
The principal had made sure of it.
But several parents stared.
Jayden noticed.
Marcus knelt beside him outside the entrance.
“Remember something.”
“What?”
“You touched a car.”
Jayden looked confused.
“That’s all you did.”
“I broke the rule.”
“You broke a rule. You did not become a bad person.”
Jayden nodded slowly.
Marcus watched him walk through the doors.
Only then did he check his phone.
Twenty-three missed calls.
Seven from the board.
Three from Victoria.
Two from Naomi.
Four from Simone.
One voicemail from Grant Mercer.
Marcus played it.
“Marcus. We need to control the narrative before it destroys shareholder confidence. This is bigger than one employee. Meet me before the board session.”
Marcus deleted nothing.
He drove downtown.
When the elevator opened to the executive floor, Simone Carter was standing outside his office.
She wore a camel coat and the expression she had worn at their father’s funeral.
Defensive before anyone had accused her.
Marcus walked toward her.
“How much did you tell Grant?”
Simone’s eyes hardened.
“Good morning to you too.”
“You signed an amendment giving his people operational access.”
“I signed what Legal sent me.”
“Legal didn’t send it.”
Her expression changed.
“Marcus—”
“You changed a contract you had no authority to change.”
“I was told you approved it.”
“By who?”
“Grant.”
Marcus laughed once without humor.
“And that was enough?”
“He had your email.”
“My email?”
Simone opened her phone.
She showed him a message chain.
The sender appeared to be Marcus.
The language sounded like him.
Simone, I’m buried in the European acquisition. Grant can coordinate the Mercer amendment. Sign for me if needed.
Marcus read it twice.
“I never wrote this.”
Simone stared.
For the first time, fear crossed her face.
“Then somebody wanted my signature.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked toward the boardroom.
“Maybe because yours comes with twelve percent of my company.”
Simone lowered the phone.
A second message arrived on her screen.
She read it.
Her face drained.
Marcus took the phone from her.
It was from Grant Mercer.
Remember our agreement. Vote correctly today, or the loan is due in full by Friday.
Marcus slowly looked at his sister.
“What loan?”
Simone said nothing.
Marcus’s voice dropped.
“What did you borrow from Grant?”
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Her eyes filled.
“Two point four million dollars.”
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