“Where would I go?” Her laugh was hollow. “My entire life just imploded.”
“Not yet, it hasn’t,” I said. “We’re just getting started fighting back.”
She nodded, drawing a slow breath, as if steadying herself.
“Just… don’t disappear on me,” she said quietly.
I squeezed her hand once, pulling my phone back out as I stepped away from her side.
Something was very wrong here. Something that went deeper than corporate sabotage or Gaming Commission politics.
Leo spoke my thoughts out loud. “The timing of these events is too convenient. Marcus files his complaint? Wilder shows up with lawyers? Henri acting…”
“Out of character,” I finished for him. “What else is going wrong? Orion, what about the investor who’s been asking questions?”
Orion shot me a concerned glance. “Which investor?”
“The one who called you three times this week. The one who suddenly wants detailed financials on the marketing department budget.”
“Mitchell’s been nervous since the fire, but I smoothed it over.” Orion paced the room. “You think he’s part of this…”
“Conspiracy,” I said. Though I wasn’t sure, I had my suspicions.
Orion drew in a deep breath. “Mitchell’s concerns aren’t vague anxieties about the fire. He’s citing specific budget allocations. Marketing expenses have gone over budget.”
My chest tightened. “What else has he referenced?”
“Personnel decisions. The timeline of when we hired Tashi. How quickly she was integrated into executive operations.” Leo’s voice dropped. “He even mentioned the private jet to the Grand Canyon. Said it raised questions about ‘appropriate use of company assets.’”
“That flight wasn’t public record.”
“No. It wasn’t.” Leo met my eyes. “Someone told him. Someone with access to our schedules, our internal communications.”
The implications settled like ice in my gut. This wasn’t just corporate espionage—someone was actively weaponizing our private information against us.
“Henri,” I said.
“Has to be. He’s the only one with that level of access across all systems—financial, operations, and security. CFO privileges give him visibility in everything.”
“But why?” I moved away from the window, pacing. “What does he gain from feeding intelligence to our investors? What does he gain from helping Marcus build a harassment case against us?”
“I don’t know.” Leo’s frustration bled through. “He’s like family to us.”
I mulled over Henri’s reactions over the past few months. His subtle disapproval over the decisions we made. He positioned himself as the “responsible” one when we took risks.
“Maybe money trumps loyalty,” I said.
Leo’s expression shifted. “You think Henri is waiting for us to make a mistake?”
The pieces were falling into place, each one more damning than the last.
“I think someone’s been creating opportunities for us to make mistakes, but yeah, I suspect he’s helping whoever is behind this.”
“We’ve known Henri for seventeen years,” Orion said finally. “Since we bought this property. He’s been with us through every expansion, every crisis, every success.”
“Which gives him intimate knowledge of our vulnerabilities,” I said.
“You really think he’d betray us?” Leo asked.
