Part 9: The Empty Office
The rest of the day passed in a whirlwind of emergency board meetings, public relations damage control statements, and sweeping terminations across the upper management tiers of Apex Services. The board of directors sat in stunned silence as my legal team laid out the exhaustive evidence of embezzlement, ghost billing, and systemic exploitation of vulnerable workers.
By late afternoon, the executive floor was entirely deserted.
I sat alone at my massive mahogany desk, the golden rays of the Texas sunset casting long, warm shadows across the room. My phone sat right in front of me on the blotter.
I picked it up, opened my contacts, and stared at a single name I hadn't dialed in over three years.
My thumb hovered over the screen. My heart hammered against my ribs with a terrifying intensity I hadn't felt since I was a young man starting my first business.
What if she hung up on me? What if she told me it was too late?
I took a deep, shaky breath, pressed the call button, and pressed the phone to my ear.
It rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Just as my courage began to fracture and I started lowering the phone, the line clicked open.
