Chapter 23 Archer
Archer
Tuesday morning greeted Archer with the same emptiness that had haunted him through a sleepless night.
His penthouse, normally a sanctuary of order and control, now felt like a monument to his failure.
The bed remained untouched—he’d spent the night in his office chair, surrounded by financial reports and evidence of Richard Jenkins’ misdeeds, searching for answers that might help him win Morgan back.
Coffee wasn’t going to cut it. He downed an espresso, then another, the bitter liquid doing little to clear the fog of exhaustion.
The face that stared back at him from the bathroom mirror looked foreign—shadows beneath his eyes, stubble darkening his jaw, a vulnerability he rarely allowed himself to show.
He’d tried calling her again. Straight to voicemail. He’d drafted and discarded a dozen text messages, each feeling more inadequate than the last. What could he possibly say in a text message that would undo the damage his deception had caused and led her to believe about him?
The drive to Sullivan Tower was mechanical, his thoughts far from the morning traffic or the day’s agenda.
Tuesday meant the executive leadership meeting—normally his domain, where Archer Sullivan, CEO, commanded the room with effortless authority.
Today, it felt like an exercise in futility.
How could corporate strategy matter when his personal life lay in ruins?
His executive assistant Jennifer’s eyes widened slightly as he strode past her desk without his usual morning greeting. She quickly recovered, following him into his office with a tablet in hand.
“Sir, I’ve moved your 10 AM with legal to tomorrow as requested. The Tokyo team sent over their revised proposal, and Mr. Donovan is waiting for you in the conference room for your pre-meeting briefing.”
Archer nodded, not trusting his voice for a moment. Jennifer had been with him for six years. She’d seen him through corporate crises, hostile takeovers, and international negotiations. She’d never seen him like this.
“Thank you, Jennifer. Tell Marcus I’ll be there in five minutes.”
When she closed the door, Archer took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders and adjusting his tie. Time to put on the mask again—the impenetrable facade of Archer Sullivan, CEO. This time, it felt less like a strategy and more like a prison of his own making.
Marcus Donovan was reviewing documents at the conference table when Archer entered. His CFO looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his features at Archer’s appearance.
“Rough night?” Marcus asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp with assessment.
“Long one,” Archer replied, taking a seat at the head of the table. “Where are we with Vertex?”
Marcus slid a folder across the table. “Final acquisition paperwork is ready for Thursday. The Vertex board has accepted our terms without pushback. Richard Jenkins has been temporarily suspended pending our investigation.”
“And the evidence against him?”
“Substantial,” Marcus replied, tapping on his tablet to bring documents onto the main screen. “The forensic accounting team has traced most of the irregularities back to him. Falsified expenses, double-billing clients, the works.”
Archer studied the financial data displayed before them. “Most of the irregularities?”
Marcus hesitated, just a fraction of a second. “There are a few transactions that don’t quite fit his pattern. Could be someone working with him, or just a different approach to cover his tracks.”
“I want to see everything,” Archer said, his voice hardening. “Every transaction, every account.”
“Of course,” Marcus agreed, though something in his tone caught Archer’s attention. “Though I wonder if this level of detail is necessary for you personally. The forensic team can handle the minutiae.”
“I’ll decide what’s necessary,” Archer replied, more sharply than intended. “This acquisition is too important to delegate completely.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow. “It’s a small creative agency. Barely a blip in our portfolio. Why the intense focus?”
The question hung in the air, loaded with unspoken implications.
“I don’t like loose ends,” Archer said finally. “Especially when innocent people might be hurt in the process.”
“Ah,” Marcus said, leaning back slightly. “This is about the employee. Morgan Reeves.”
The sound of her name out of Marcus’s mouth felt like an intrusion. “She’s been wrongfully accused. I want to make sure we have the full picture before the meeting on Thursday.”
“I’ve arranged for her to meet with our legal team separately,” Marcus continued, scrolling through his tablet. “Given her... unique position in all this, it seemed prudent.”
Archer’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean by ‘unique position’?”
“Well, she’s either Jenkins’ accomplice or his scapegoat,” Marcus replied smoothly. “Either way, she requires special handling.”
“She’s not his accomplice,” Archer said firmly. “All evidence points to Jenkins setting her up.”
Marcus studied him for a moment, his expression calculating. “You seem very certain of that.”
“The evidence is clear.”
“Evidence can be deceiving,” Marcus countered. “People too. Take Jenkins—respected Creative Director by day, embezzler by night. Even had connections to Meridian Investment Group to help launder some of the funds.”
Archer paused, mind suddenly alert. “Meridian Investment Group? That wasn’t in the reports I reviewed.”
Marcus blinked, the only sign that he might have misspoken. “It’s in the supplementary data. Came in late yesterday. One of Jenkins’ associates works there—it seems they were routing some of the fraudulent payments through client accounts.”
“I want that data,” Archer said immediately. “And the name of this associate.”
“Of course,” Marcus agreed, making a note on his tablet. “Though it’s likely just another pawn in Jenkins’ scheme.”
“Let me determine that,” Archer said, his strategic mind now fully engaged despite his emotional exhaustion. “I also want to review the complete transaction history that doesn’t match Jenkins’ pattern.”
Marcus’s expression remained neutral, professional. “As you wish. Though with Thursday’s meeting approaching, I wonder if your time might be better spent on the broader acquisition strategy.”
“I’ll manage my own time,” Archer replied coldly.
The remainder of the pre-meeting briefing passed with professional efficiency, but Archer’s mind kept returning to that small slip—Meridian Investment Group.
Why hadn’t that connection been in any of the reports he’d reviewed?
And why was Marcus so eager to steer him away from the detailed forensic accounting?
As they walked toward the main conference room where the executive team waited, Marcus paused. “By the way, should I handle the Morgan Reeves interview on Thursday? You have the board presentation that morning, and I have experience with these sensitive personnel matters.”
The offer seemed innocuous on the surface—a CFO helping with acquisition details. But something in Marcus’s tone set off warning bells in Archer’s mind.
“No,” he said firmly. “I’ll handle it myself.”
“Suit yourself,” Marcus replied with a casual shrug. “Just trying to lighten your load.”
The executive meeting proceeded as it always did—reports, projections, strategic planning. Archer participated with mechanical precision, his mind divided between the business at hand and the growing sense that something wasn’t right with the Vertex situation.
It wasn’t until late afternoon, alone in his office, that Archer had time to dig deeper. He pulled up the complete forensic accounting report, scanning for any mention of Meridian Investment Group. There was nothing—not in the main report, not in the supplementary data Marcus had finally sent over.
Yet Marcus had mentioned it with such confidence, as if it were an established fact.
Archer opened a secure browser and searched for Meridian Investment Group, scanning its corporate profile and leadership team. Nothing jumped out immediately, until he reached the “Corporate Ownership” section.
Meridian was a subsidiary of Centaur Holdings. And Centaur Holdings was partially owned by Sullivan Enterprises—a minor holding acquired during a diversification push three years ago.
His phone buzzed. Kane.
“You asked for information on Morgan Reeves,” Kane said without preamble. “I’ve compiled the basics, but there’s something interesting in her relationship history. Her ex-boyfriend—”
“Jason,” Archer supplied.
“Yes. Jason Prescott. He works for Meridian Investment Group. Financial advisor for high-net-worth clients.”
The connection hit Archer like a physical blow. Jason worked for Meridian. Meridian was connected to Sullivan Enterprises. And Marcus knew about this connection despite it not being in any report.
“Kane, I need everything you can find on Meridian Investment Group,” Archer ordered. “Client lists, transaction histories, management structure. Especially any connections to a Richard Jenkins, Jason Prescott or Marcus Donovan.”
“That’s a big ask,” Kane replied cautiously. “Meridian handles confidential financial information. If I dig there, people will notice.”
“Use back channels,” Archer insisted. “This is important.”
After ending the call, Archer sat motionless at his desk, mind racing.
The pieces didn’t quite fit yet, but patterns were emerging that couldn’t be coincidence.
Morgan’s ex-boyfriend worked at a firm connected to Sullivan Enterprises.
That same firm was somehow linked to Richard Jenkins’ embezzlement.
And Marcus knew details that weren’t in the official reports.
Archer unlocked a secure drawer full of files in his desk, pulling out one of the red folders—his personal notes on Marcus Donovan from when he’d hired him three years ago.
Impressive credentials. Harvard MBA. Ten years at a top consulting firm.
Impeccable references. But something had always felt slightly off about Marcus—an ambition that ran too hot, a perfectionism that bordered on obsessive.
He’d attributed it to the qualities needed in a top-tier CFO. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
As the evening light faded outside his office windows, Archer found himself following a trail that had nothing to do with winning Morgan back and everything to do with uncovering a truth that might be far uglier than he’d imagined.
His phone buzzed again. A text from Viper: Tessa says Morgan’s not ready to talk. But she’s going to the Thursday meeting.
Archer set down the phone, conflicting missions warring in his mind. Clear Morgan’s name. Win her trust back. And now, determine exactly what Marcus Donovan was hiding.
Thursday was approaching fast. And suddenly, it felt like far more than his relationship with Morgan might hang in the balance.