Maya tapped her tablet. "Apex Meridian closed down 5.7% overnight. Pre-market sentiment suggests more pressure once analysts publish their mid-week notes."
Naomi nodded. "Any leaks?"
"No," Maya replied. "Just questions and people filling in blanks Leonard left open."
Naomi folded her hands. "Good."
The legal advisor spoke next. "Their team is pushing for a private resolution. No acknowledgment of wrongdoing. They want this framed as a misunderstanding."
Naomi exhaled slowly. "Of course they do."
Back in his penthouse, Leonard paced as the board chair continued speaking. "We also discovered something," the chair said. "There were previous internal complaints flagged during your first two years as CEO."
Leonard stopped pacing. "Those were handled."
"Were they?" the chair asked. "Because they were settled quietly and never escalated to the full board."
Leonard felt the ground tilt slightly beneath him. "That was procedural," he said. "Standard."
"Standard doesn't mean invisible," the chair replied. "And now, with everything happening, it looks like a pattern."
Leonard's voice hardened. "So what are you saying?"
The chair paused. "I'm saying the board is convening an emergency session this afternoon without you."
Leonard's breath caught. "You can't."
"We can," the chair interrupted. "And we are."
The call ended. Leonard stared at his phone, the silence roaring in his ears. For the first time in decades, no one was asking what he wanted to do.
Meanwhile, Naomi's meeting continued. Communications cleared her throat. "Once the board acts, public interest will spike. We should prepare a statement."
Naomi shook her head. "Not yet."
"Even if Leonard's removed?" someone asked.