Chapter 575
Chapter 575:
“Please turn to page four,” Isolde instructed.
The sound of heavy paper turning filled the room.
“This is an analysis of InnoTech’s cash flow over the last three quarters,” Isolde explained. “Note the red highlighted columns. For the past six months, InnoTech has been surviving entirely on check kiting—moving non-existent funds between shell accounts to artificially inflate their daily balances p>
Grayson opened the folder. His eyes moved swiftly across the numbers, and the muscles in his jaw tightened into hard knots.
“But that is not the worst part,” Isolde continued. She pressed a button on her laptop, and the massive screen on the wall illuminated with a complex flowchart.
“The funds you claimed were allocated for ‘advanced aerospace R&D,’” she said, directing a laser pointer at a specific red box on the screen, “had over forty percent quietly funneled into a private offshore trust managed by Cheryl Juarez p>
The room erupted in shocked murmurs.
“The money was used to purchase luxury real estate in Aspen,” Isolde finished, “and a yacht registered in the Cayman Islands p>
𝖣𝗈𝗻’t 𝗺𝗂𝗌𝘀 𝘯𝗲𝘸 𝗋𝗲l𝖾𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘴 𝘰ո g𝗮𝗹ո𝗈𝘃𝖾𝘭𝗌.с𝗼m
Grayson slammed the folder shut. The sound cracked through the room like a gunshot.
He looked down the full length of the table, his eyes dark, stormy, and terrifying.
“Belle,” he said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Is this true? Are you embezzling project funds p>
Belle shot out of her chair. It tipped backward and crashed to the floor behind her.
“It is a lie!” she screamed, her voice cracking into hysteria. “This is slander—a pathetic, desperate attack from a woman who has always been jealous of me! Gray, you know her. You know how she twists things p>
Isolde did not raise her voice. She did not need to.
“We have been tracking anomalies in your supply chain for months,” she said smoothly. “The definitive proof—the raw data—was provided directly by your former assistant comptroller. He realized he was being set up as the fall guy for federal tax fraud, and he approached my team for whistleblower protection last night, handing over the final decryption keys needed to complete this preliminary report p>
The lead government compliance officer closed the folder. He looked disgusted.
“Mr. Lancaster,” the officer said firmly, “this is a catastrophic breach of federal compliance. We cannot allow a single cent of taxpayer money to flow through a compromised entity like InnoTech p>
Chase let out a heavy sigh. He looked at Belle with cold detachment. “Given the evidence, I formally motion to immediately suspend InnoTech’s partnership privileges and freeze their access to the joint venture accounts p>
Belle stared at him, her mouth falling open. “You are turning on me? After everything I did for you p>
Grayson picked up his silver pen and tapped it once against the wood.
“The motion passes,” he declared, his voice absolute. “InnoTech is officially removed from the consortium, pending a full criminal financial investigation p>
The floor seemed to drop out from beneath Belle. Removed. The government grants were gone. The lifeline was severed. She was finished.