Chapter 12 - The Partner in the Shadows
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"Who else had access to the contract files, Emily?" General Vance asked, his eyes sharp as flint.
"Only three people held master administrative keys for the Carter Defense acquisition," I recalled, mentally reviewing the project roster. "Myself, Major Marcus Vance from logistics, and Senior Vice President Richard Sterling from Carter Defense Systems."
General Vance's jaw tightened. "Richard Sterling."
Richard Sterling was my father’s long-time business partner—a cold, calculating executive who had quietly managed Carter Defense’s international investments for over fifteen years. He was the man who had originally pushed my parents to give Madison her executive role.
Detective Miller opened her laptop and typed rapidly. "I'm pulling Sterling’s access logs right now... Wait."
"What is it?" I asked, stepping closer to the screen.
"On Thursday night at 7:28 p.m., four minutes after you left the building, a guest badge was swiped at the secondary entrance of the Procurement Wing," Detective Miller pointed at the digital footprint. "The guest badge was issued under Richard Sterling’s corporate clearance."
"He was inside the building," General Vance growled.
"And look at the secondary terminal log," Miller added, highlighting a row of green code. "Sterling’s guest badge entered Terminal 4B—the exact computer terminal used to upload the blank recusal form at 7:31 p.m. using your stolen credentials!"
The trap was finally clear. Richard Sterling had stolen my login information during a routine compliance meeting, waited for me to sign the contract, and then altered the record behind my back to create a ticking time bomb.
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If the contract was voided due to my "ethics violation," the defense deal wouldn't just vanish—it would be automatically awarded to the runner-up bidder: Apex Global Tech.
A company where Richard Sterling secretly owned thirty percent of the shares.
