"Leonard, Legal wants to know if you authorized any changes to disclosure protocols."
Leonard snapped. "Of course not."
She hesitated. "Then they're asking why independent analysts are referencing 'leadership risk' in their notes."
Leonard felt something twist in his gut. Leadership risk. That phrase didn't come out of nowhere. He turned sharply. "Who's feeding them this?"
No one answered, because no one knew. And that was the part Leonard couldn't tolerate. He turned toward the window, eyes scanning the runway like answers might be sitting on the tarmac. Instead, he saw Naomi's SUV disappearing down the access road.
A memory flickered through his mind. The way she'd stood, calm and unhurried. The way she hadn't argued, hadn't defended herself. She hadn't needed to. Leonard felt the first real surge of anger cut through his panic.
"This is retaliation," he muttered. "This is some kind of setup."
One of the executives finally spoke up. "Leonard? Who exactly was she?"
Leonard opened his mouth, then stopped. He didn't know. The room absorbed that silence like a confession.
Leonard's phone rang again. He answered without checking the number. "What?" he barked.
The voice on the other end was controlled. Professional. "Mr. Whitmore, this is Horizon Equity Compliance. We're reaching out regarding several inquiries tied to Apex Meridian's executive conduct."
Leonard stiffened. "Conduct."
"Yes. Specifically, leadership culture and risk exposure."
Leonard's grip tightened. "On what basis?"
There was a pause. "Multiple corroborated indicators," the voice replied. "Including recorded interactions."
Leonard's breath caught. "Recorded by who?" he demanded.
Another pause. "We're still verifying sources," the voice said evenly. "But we recommend preparing a formal response."
The call ended. Leonard stared at his phone, pulse pounding.
Across town, Naomi sat quietly in the back seat, watching the city pass by. She didn't feel triumphant. She felt steady. Because this wasn't about revenge. It was about inevitability. When you spent years building something on the assumption that no one would ever question you, the moment someone did wasn't an attack. It was exposure.