Forty-three.
The number made Bea’s stomach churn. Anger followed, steady and clarifying. He’d calculated the cost of their dignity and set it just out of reach. That was the model.
A technician clicked a remote. The screen flared to life.
Internal Memo – Monaghan & Stowe
Subject:Image-Based Coercion Is a Capital Markets Risk
Author:Beatriz Cruz (Senior Analyst, Financial Policy Research Unit)
Reputational assault, which is now easier than ever to achieve through doctored images and sexualized scandal, is widely treated in Western markets as private drama.
In practice, it functions as economic coercion aimed disproportionately at women, with measurable impacts on mobility and security…
“Mrs. Griffin.” Brian looked to her, and the attention in the room tilted with him. “Your interview with Mr. Fox several months ago was enlightening. You have firsthand proximity to this issue.”
Bea started to nod, then stopped. “Proximity, yes. Consequence, no.”
“What are you hoping to see?”
“A change in incentives.” Her hands shook under the table, but her voice was clear. “Mr. Fox had everything to gain and almost nothing to lose by turning my life into content. The system rewards attention. It doesn’t price harm.”
She let that settle, taking the chance to take a long, silent breath.
“I value privacy. I have the structures in the UR to protect mine. Most women don’t. That imbalance needs to be corrected.”
The steel-grey-haired official inclined her head. “And how would you see yourself contributing?”
Before Bea could answer, a man two seats down interjected. “Public confidence and persuasion are critical in matters like this,” he said. “A visible survivor advocating for reform can be persuasive. Particularly one with your qualities.”
“What qualities, exactly, are you referring to?” Bea asked.
“You’re credible, Mrs. Griffin.” He cleared his throat. “And, if I can be frank, the cameras would agree.”
The cameras.
Bea felt her hands steady, and moved them to the tabletop, flattening her palms. “With respect,” she said, “that is the same argument Mr. Fox made: exposure as strategy. I agreed to do that interview to expose him. After that, I can offer analysis, not publicity.”
A subtle recalibration moved along the Canadian side of the table.
Bea’s attention returned to the woman who had asked the question originally. “In terms of contribution, I work with aggregate data. AI now makes fabrication cheaper and more scalable than ever. The cost compounds: lost earnings, cost and time for the judicial system, reduced participation in certain industries. We can model the losses at scale.”
Pens resumed moving.
“This is core competency for us,” Maris spoke up. “Gender-based outcome analysis has shaped UR financial policy for decades. Bea has already prepared samples for you based on UR data, but we can do the same if you give us access to the Canadian numbers.”
Bea let her gaze travel the length of the table. “We’ll provide the model. The policy response is yours.”
Silence held, heavier now.
Brian gave a single nod. “Your expertise would be an asset to this group. Let’s begin.”
RAFAEL
Bea thought he was here to monitor risk. That was part of it. The truth was, he wanted to see this moment with his own eyes.
Bea under pressure was something else to watch. He had seen her sit across from Oliver Fox, fists clenched in her lap, calmly dismantling a man twice her age. And years ago, at IGNITE, pulse visible at her throat as she pitched a business plan before a panel of industry titans when she was still new to St. Ives.
