20. Edward
EDWARD
Istand at the head of the table in the large conference room and wait for the last stragglers to file in.
This time, the room is even more packed than before.
Interns line the back wall, wide-eyed and fidgeting.
The permanent staff fill every chair and spill into the aisles.
Arthur catches my eye from the front row and gives me a questioning look.
I nod back. He'll understand soon enough.
The door clicks shut behind the last person. I clear my throat and the small talk dies down.
"I know these meetings have become a habit," I begin. "But this one is different. I called you all here, interns included, because I owe you a thank you."
A few heads tilt. Someone in the back coughs.
"The audits you've been running, the extra hours, the files you flagged that didn't sit right—it all added up. Without your diligence, we wouldn't have uncovered half of what we did." I pause and scan the room. "The pay bump stays. I haven't forgotten. And neither has the board."
A ripple of cheers moves through the crowd. Someone claps. A young man from procurement pumps his fist. I let the noise settle before continuing.
"Now. Questions. I'm sure you have a lot of them."
A man from legal raises his hand. "What happens now? To the company, I mean. Are we in the clear?"
"We're not out of the woods yet. The investigations are ongoing. But the board is confident we've identified the major breaches. We're moving forward with that in mind."
A woman from finance, one of Graham's former direct reports, stands up. Her expression shows worry. "What happens to the CFO? And to us? We worked under him. Some of us for years. Are we getting laid off?"
Several heads in the finance section nod along with her. I meet her gaze directly.
"Let me be clear. The only person currently laid off is Vanessa Kline, following a review of her recent conduct. We have not yet confirmed the full extent of her role in Graham's schemes, but her public attacks on a former colleague made her position untenable."
Murmurs. A few knowing glances.
"As for Graham, he is indefinitely suspended. Termination is on the table pending the outcome of the investigations. The board also intends to sue."
The finance woman exhales but still looks uncertain, so I press on.
"Your jobs are safe. Every single one of you. You were lied to, same as the rest of us. The board understands that. I understand that."
She nods slowly and sinks back into her seat. The tension in that corner of the room eases by a few degrees.
Another hand shoots up, this time from accounts. "What about Jordan and Jordan? Are we still doing business with them?"
"We are not." My voice is flat. "Effective immediately, Whitmore Holdings has severed all ties with J&J.
Any mention of that consultancy firm in any file, any contract, any invoice—it gets escalated to your nearest manager.
Treat it with optimal scrutiny. If something looks off, flag it.
Do not assume someone else already did."
Nods ripple through the room. Arthur makes a note on his tablet.
He looks up and raises his hand. "Edward, the finance department is currently without a head. What's the plan there?"
"I've been charged with extended oversight over the department for now," I say. "But the board has also decided to put someone in charge until things are sorted. And that person could keep the role permanently."
Arthur's brow furrows. "Who?"
I smile. "Before I answer that, I'm going to need a drumroll."
A few people laugh. Someone actually starts tapping the table. The sound builds, playful and expectant. I turn toward the door and raise my voice.
"You can come in now."
The doors open slowly and in walks Noelle.
The room erupts. Chairs scrape back. People surge to their feet.
Within seconds, a swarm of junior staff surrounds her, their voices overlapping in a tangle of congratulations and disbelief.
I see the young woman from accounts throw her arms around Noelle's shoulders.
A man from compliance shakes her hand so vigorously I think it might come off.
I lean against the table’s edge and watch. She deserves this. Every second of it.
When the frenzy dies down, Noelle steps up toward me. The crowd parts to let her through. She reaches my side and turns to face the room, and the crowd goes silent, expectant.
She draws a deep breath. I can see the tears in her eyes.
"I want to start by saying thank you." Her voice is steady. "When I was down, many of you helped me. You gave me information. You defended me publicly, even when I wasn't there to defend myself. You played a role in taking down Graham and Vanessa, and I will never forget that."
A ripple of nods. The woman from procurement dabs at her eyes.
"I am devoted to getting the finance department up and running again," Noelle continues. "We're going to do things by the book. No more shell companies. No more Hollywood accounting. Our finances will be above board, transparent, and boring as hell."
Scattered laughter.
She pauses, a glint in her eye. "And I promise, on my first day, to immediately resign from my position at Jordan and Jordan Consulting."
The room explodes with laughter. Someone hoots. Arthur slaps his knee. The finance woman who was worried about layoffs is grinning so wide I can see her molars.
Noelle lets the laughter fade before she speaks again. "I know trust isn't rebuilt in a day. But I'm here to earn it. Whatever it takes."
She steps back. The applause that follows is loud and long and genuine.
All the while, I stare at her with rapt attention. The way she commands the room. The way she made them laugh after weeks of tension. The way she's glowing despite the stress of the past months. She is magnetic, brilliant?—
A slight tug on my jacket pulls me out of my thoughts. I turn. Zachary is standing beside me, a grin plastered across his face.
"Maybe don't ogle the new CFO so much," he whispers, leaning close.
I smile and straighten my posture. "I wasn't ogling."
"You were ogling."
"Shut up, Zach."
He chuckles and steps back, folding his arms. I turn my gaze back to Noelle, who is now shaking hands with Arthur and exchanging words I can't hear over the ambient noise of the room.
How could I not stare? She is mine now. My woman. My second in command. The thought settles into my chest and explodes in a comforting warmth.
The road here was a nightmare. My brother tried to burn the company down. My father enabled him. I almost lost everything. But standing here, watching the laughter on Noelle's face, the ease in the crowd… things could only get better from here, surely.
I believe that. For the first time in a long time, I actually believe that.