Chapter 7 - THE INVESTOR WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Meridian Capital Partners sent two representatives to Atlanta.
One was a corporate attorney.
The other was a man named Julian Cross.
Thirty-six.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Quiet.
He wore a charcoal suit without a tie and carried a leather notebook instead of a laptop.
I disliked him immediately.
Not because he was rude.
Because he looked too calm.
Men like Hudson were easy to understand.
They wanted admiration.
Men like Julian Cross were harder.
They listened.
They noticed.
And they rarely revealed what they were thinking.
We met in Naomi's conference room.
Julian opened his notebook.
“Mrs. Vale, thank you for meeting with us.”
“Serena is fine.”
He nodded.
“Serena.”
His voice was warm.
Measured.
“We've reviewed the ownership information your attorney provided.”
I folded my arms.
“And?”
“Our proposed transaction cannot proceed on the representations made by Mr. Vale.”
I stared.
“Good.”
He almost smiled.
“That's one way to put it.”
Naomi leaned forward.
“Did Meridian transfer any funds to Hudson personally?”
Julian's expression changed.
“A preliminary consulting payment was made to an entity he identified as his advisory company.”
I looked at him.
“How much?”
He hesitated.
“Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.”
My stomach tightened.
Hudson had received a quarter of a million dollars.
For advising on the sale of a company he didn't own.
Julian continued.
“We are reviewing the circumstances of that payment.”
I stared at him.
“Why are you telling me this?”
He closed his notebook.
“Because I believe Mr. Vale misrepresented more than his ownership position.”
I felt cold.
“What else?”
Julian looked at Naomi.
Then back at me.
“He also represented that the company had no outstanding disputes concerning its product safety certifications.”
I frowned.
“We don't.”
May you like
Julian's expression hardened.
“Then someone has been submitting false inspection reports under your company's name.”
