Chapter 15 - The Sabotage|
The crowd turned their attention toward the stage. Marcus Vance folded his arms, a smirking smile playing on his lips.
"For four years," Ethan spoke into the microphone, his voice steady and remarkably clear, "this company has watched me pull back into the shadows. Many of you wondered if I would ever return to leading Whitmore Confections with the passion my father built into its walls."
He looked directly at his mother, then shifted his gaze to Hannah, who stood near the foot of the stage, frozen in disbelief.
"Rebuilding a company doesn't happen through corporate games or political maneuverings," Ethan continued. "It happens through integrity. It happens when people show up in the dark, work hard, and take responsibility when things break. That is the standard I expect from every executive in this room. And that is why Hannah Mercer was appointed to her position."
A murmur swept through the room. Eleanor’s face hardened into stone, while Marcus’s smirk instantly vanished.
Ethan stepped down from the podium and walked directly to Hannah, offering her his arm. "Let's leave," he whispered.
However, the victory was short-lived.
At 7:00 AM the following morning, Hannah arrived at her desk to find three armed private security officers standing outside Ethan's office, along with a furious Marcus Vance and a panel of two board auditors.
"What's going on?" Hannah asked, her heart sinking.
Marcus stepped forward, holding a thick red folder. "Miss Hannah Mercer. You are officially suspended pending a criminal investigation."
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Hannah gasped. "What? On what grounds?"
"Last night, fifty thousand dollars worth of imported Belgian cocoa inventory was altered in our digital shipping manifest using your personal employee login," Marcus declared triumphantly, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "The shipment was misrouted to an unregistered warehouse in Georgia and is currently missing."
