Chapter 15 - The Corporate Audit
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At 4:00 AM the following morning, the executive floor of Stanford Development’s downtown skyscraper was entirely dark, save for the bright light spilling from Corbin’s corner office.
Corbin had brought in an independent forensic accounting team and an outside criminal defense attorney whom he trusted implicitly.
For six straight hours, they poured over the Harbor Tower project records from four years prior.
What they uncovered was staggering.
Marcus Stanford had siphoned over four million dollars from the Harbor Tower structural budget into a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands—a company co-owned by Richard Sterling. To cover up the missing funds, they had ordered cheap, unvetted concrete mix for the building's foundation pillars.
When Ethan Prescott discovered the structural defect, he became an immediate threat to their multi-million-dollar embezzlement scheme.
“This isn't just corporate negligence, Corbin,” the outside attorney, Sarah Vance, said grimly, sliding a legal brief across the desk. “This is organized fraud, obstruction of justice, and potentially reckless manslaughter.”
Corbin stared out the window at the rising sun painting the Providence skyline in shades of gold and amber.
“How soon can we bring in the state authorities?” Corbin asked.
“The moment you present this evidence to your board,” Sarah replied. “Once it’s entered into the official corporate record, Sterling and Marcus won't be able to touch it.”
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Corbin straightened his tie and picked up his leather portfolio.
“Set the emergency board meeting for nine o'clock,” Corbin ordered. “And make sure Richard Sterling and Marcus Stanford are sitting in the front row.”
