Chapter 10 - THE RECORDING MARCUS WANTED EVERYONE TO HEAR
Marcus's next move was public.
An online business publication received an edited recording of me discussing Mercer Financial Systems with Rebecca.
In the recording, my voice appeared to say:
"I want Marcus to lose everything."
The article suggested that my relationship with Julian had allowed me to influence Rhodes Capital's acquisition review for personal revenge.
Within hours, the story spread across financial discussion forums.
My professional reputation was being questioned by people who had never met me.
Rebecca immediately obtained the published audio and arranged for a technical review.
I remembered the original conversation.
Months earlier, after discovering the false compliance approval, I'd told Rebecca that I wanted Marcus to lose the ability to use my name without permission.
The published recording had removed the words between two separate statements.
It changed the meaning entirely.
My employer's independent review confirmed that I had not participated in Rhodes Capital's acquisition decision-making.
Julian's board had documented his recusal.
And the decision to suspend the transaction was supported by concerns identified through independent due diligence.
Rebecca prepared a formal response requesting correction of the misleading report.
I was furious.
But I refused to let Marcus turn me into someone whose every action revolved around destroying him.
That evening, I came home to find Julian preparing dinner.
Or attempting to.
There was flour on the counter, sauce on his sleeve, and a suspiciously blackened piece of garlic bread beside the stove.
Emma was sitting at the kitchen island, supervising.
"Daddy burned dinner."
"I did not burn dinner," Julian said.
Emma pointed toward the bread.
"That's black."
"That's flavor."
I started laughing.
It was the first time I'd laughed all day.
Julian looked relieved.
Later, after Emma went to sleep, I told him how frightened I was about the public allegations.
He listened.
Then he said:
"You've spent years building your reputation. One misleading recording doesn't erase that work."
I leaned against him.
"I know. But it can make everything harder."
"Then we deal with it properly."
We sat together for a while.
Then Rebecca called.
The technical review had identified several edits in the published recording.
More importantly, the source file had been uploaded from an account linked to an outside public-relations contractor.
The contractor had recently received a payment from Mercer Financial Systems.
The payment itself required further investigation, but it provided a lead concerning how the recording had been distributed.
Then Rebecca told me something else.
Chloe had supplied a separate voice message from Marcus.
It was recorded during an argument about Hart Advisory Group.
His words were unmistakable.
"If Evelyn comes forward, I'll make sure everyone believes she approved the payments."
I closed my eyes.
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For five years, Marcus had relied on the idea that my silence meant he could control the story.
Now investigators had evidence suggesting he'd been preparing to make me responsible for the transactions he wanted to hide.
