Grant left the building with counsel at 12:23 p.m.
He did not say goodbye.
By two, his company email was locked.
By four, the bank had suspended further draws on the credit facility.
By six, outside counsel had copied the relevant servers.
Elise stayed in her office.
For once, nobody asked her to explain a balance sheet.
At seven, Sloane knocked.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes.”
She sat.
The perfume bottle remained on Elise’s desk inside a clear evidence bag.
Sloane looked at it and then away.
Elise placed two documents in front of her.
“What are these?”
“Two paths.”
Sloane read the first page.
Cooperation agreement.
Preserve devices.
Turn over communications.
Submit to an interview with outside counsel.
Testify if required.
The second document was a notice that her employment was under investigation for unauthorized wire approvals.
Her hands went cold.
“So either I testify or you blame me.”
“No.”
“It looks like that.”
“You approved corporate transfers using your credentials.”
“Because Grant told me to.”
“I know.”
“Then why am I being investigated?”
“Because that is what an investigation is for.”
Sloane pushed the papers away.
“This is punishment.”
Elise kept her voice level.
“No. Punishment would be deciding the answer before asking the questions.”
Sloane stared at her.
Elise understood why she was angry.
Power always sounded reasonable from the chair that held it.
“You have your own lawyer review both documents,” Elise said. “Not ours. Yours.”
“I can’t afford—”
“The company will pay for independent counsel up to the amount listed there.”
Sloane read the page again.
That detail changed her face.
“You’re paying for a lawyer to tell me whether I should cooperate against your husband?”
“Against the company’s former signing officer.”
“You really talk like finance.”
“I’ve been told.”
Sloane leaned back.
“Why aren’t you screaming at me?”
Elise looked at the evidence bag.
“I did my screaming six months ago.”
Sloane frowned.
“You never said anything.”
“I was alone.”
The answer surprised them both.
Elise stood and walked to the window.
“I blamed you for about three days.”
“Only three?”
“Then I found Meridian.”
Sloane gave a weak laugh.
“That made me less important.”
“It made the affair smaller.”
“That’s worse somehow.”
“Yes.”
They sat in silence.
Finally Sloane said, “I’ll cooperate.”
“Talk to your lawyer first.”
“I already know.”
“Still talk to your lawyer.”
Sloane nodded.
At the door, she stopped.
“Did he ever love me?”
Elise almost said that was not her question to answer.
Then she thought about the bottle.
A gift stolen from his wife.
Tape over the engraving.
A promise financed with money moved from the family company.
“I think Grant loves whatever makes him feel like consequences belong to someone else.”
Sloane’s eyes filled.
She left without replying.
Elise went home after midnight.
Grant’s side of the closet was half empty.
His toothbrush was gone.
His wedding ring sat on the bathroom counter.
Beside it lay a handwritten note.
I never meant for you to carry the loss.
Elise read it twice.
Then she laughed.
Quietly.
Because that was exactly what the guarantee was designed to do.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Teresa.
Counsel found another account. Call me now.
Elise called.
Teresa answered immediately.
“We were wrong about the total.”
Elise closed her eyes.
“How wrong?”
Teresa told her.
