Chapter 8 - THE MAN INSIDE HER COMPANY
Natalie gave Hawthorne Biotech’s general counsel exactly twenty minutes.
Then the board chair was on a secure call.
By noon, an internal forensic team began reviewing access logs.
Natalie hated turning suspicion toward coworkers.
But Rhett’s warning was specific.
Someone inside Hawthorne was paying Derek.
The Riverside Therapeutics acquisition involved enormous money.
Before public announcement, inside information could generate millions through stock positions, options, derivatives, or competing bids.
“Who knew you had documents at home?” Melissa asked.
“Derek knew I sometimes worked remotely.”
“Passwords?”
“No.”
“Could he access your laptop?”
“Not normally.”
But he had photographed documents.
Meaning someone had told him what to look for.
The forensic team found unusual activity.
Natalie’s account had been accessed remotely six times from her home IP address while she was at the office.
Someone had used cached credentials.
Dates matched nights Derek claimed to be “watching movies.”
Her stomach turned.
“What files?”
Riverside acquisition.
Pricing model.
Maximum bid authorization.
Integration risk.
Board presentation.
Everything a competitor would want.
Then:
A second employee accessed the same files shortly afterward.
Name:
Ethan Cross.
Vice president of corporate development.
Natalie knew Ethan well.
Smart.
Ambitious.
Friendly.
He had worked beside her on the acquisition.
He also attended Lily’s birthday parties.
He and Derek occasionally golfed together.
Natalie felt sick.
“Ethan knows Derek.”
Melissa looked at her.
“How well?”
“I thought casually.”
Hawthorne security found messages.
Not on company email.
A messaging platform recovered from Ethan’s work phone backup.
Ethan to D:
N needs to look unstable before close.
D:
Working on it.
Ethan:
House plan gives financial motive.
D:
Mom loves that part.
Natalie stared.
Mom.
Patricia.
They discussed her like a project.
Another message:
Once court limits her access, we can explain missing downloads as compromised judgment.
Natalie stopped breathing.
That was the real cover.
If suspicious downloads were discovered, Natalie would appear responsible.
A CFO under mental-health concerns.
Potential data leak.
Financial instability.
Derek wasn’t just stealing her house.
He was helping frame her for corporate misconduct.
“What does Ethan get?” she asked.
Forensics followed payments.
A Cayman-linked investment entity had accumulated options tied to Riverside Therapeutics.
Beneficial ownership unclear.
But Ethan’s personal company received $400,000 in “consulting fees.”
Derek received $180,000.
Patricia $90,000.
Madison $45,000.
Everyone got a piece.
Natalie whispered:
“And Rhett?”
$25,000.
But maybe Rhett had taken money to get inside.
Maybe he never intended to complete Phase 3.
That could explain the warnings.
Then board counsel found something worse.
The acquisition’s competitor, Vantage Meridian, had raised its bid exactly to Hawthorne’s confidential maximum.
Not one million below.
Not one million above.
Exactly.
The leak had already caused damage.
Potentially tens of millions.
Natalie closed her eyes.
Her company could blame her.
Even if she was a victim.
Then security escorted Ethan Cross into a conference room.
Natalie chose to attend remotely.
Ethan looked calm until the messages appeared on screen.
Then his face changed.
“You accessed confidential files.”
“No.”
“Your credentials did.”
“Compromised.”
Natalie almost laughed.
Same defense everyone used.
Ethan continued:
“Natalie’s husband had access.”
General counsel said:
“How would you know?”
Mistake.
Ethan went silent.
They had him.
He requested counsel.
Before ending, Natalie asked one question.
“Who is paying you?”
Ethan looked directly at camera.
“You really don’t know?”
“No.”
His expression changed.
Almost pity.
“That’s the saddest part.”
“What is?”
“You think this started because Derek wanted your money.”
“I know it didn’t.”
“Good.”
“Then tell me who.”
Ethan leaned back.
“The person funding this doesn’t care about Derek.”
“Who?”
“Doesn’t care about Patricia.”
“Who?”
“Doesn’t even care about the house.”
Natalie’s patience snapped.
“WHO?”
Ethan smiled.
“The person who wants you removed from Hawthorne.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Because you found something.”
Natalie stared.
“What?”
Ethan’s smile disappeared.
“A discrepancy in the Riverside clinical-trial data.”
Natalie felt cold.
She had.
Eight months earlier.
Small inconsistency.
She flagged it.
Clinical team said it was a coding issue.
Then the acquisition moved forward.
“You’re saying that wasn’t an error?”
Ethan looked toward his attorney.
Then said:
“Ask who signed the corrected report.”
Natalie knew.
Dr. Adrian Keller.
Chief scientific officer.
Member of Hawthorne’s executive committee.
May you like
And her oldest professional mentor.
The man who had hired her twelve years earlier.
