Chapter 11 - The Investor Had His Own Plan
I called Marcus before Thain reached the elevator.
He didn’t deny it.
“Our fund holds senior debt.”
“You were going to buy the company if Thain defaulted.”
“We have that right.”
“And every question you asked me helped you decide how weak his position was.”
A pause.
“Yes.”
At least someone was finally telling the truth quickly.
I hung up.
Then I looked at Sloan.
“Everybody wants something.”
“That’s usually true when millions of dollars are involved.”
Marcus wasn’t responsible for Thain’s lies.
But he wasn’t my ally either.
That realization changed how I approached everything.
I stopped asking who was on my side.
I started asking what each person could prove.
Lyra could prove the affair and certain statements.
Cynthia could prove my original beneficial interest in shares.
Daniel could trace funds.
Thain’s documents could show the rest.
Within three days, the picture became clear enough for settlement negotiations to begin.
The company was not worthless.
It was also nowhere near as healthy as the magazine profiles suggested.
Its technology had value.
Its customers had value.
Its brand had value.
Thain’s image had been doing too much of the work.
The board reacted.
Friday morning, Thain was temporarily removed from day-to-day financial authority while an independent review took place.
He remained founder.
He was no longer the only person controlling the bank accounts.
When the news leaked internally, Lyra resigned.
She called me afterward.
“I’m leaving Boston.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“I know.”
There was a pause.
“I really am sorry.”
This time I believed her apology.
That didn’t make us friends.
But it allowed me to stop carrying her inside my anger.
Before hanging up, she told me something else.
“The ring wasn’t an engagement ring.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“The one you saw online.”
My stomach tightened.
“He told me it was a gift.”
“It was.”
“Then?”
She exhaled slowly.
“Kala, I returned it yesterday.”
“Why?”
“Because I found the receipt.”
The ring had not been purchased with Thain’s personal money.
It had been charged to Ravelin.
May you like
The company created using my forged signature.
In a way, I had paid for the ring my husband gave his mistress.
