Chapter 11 - THE WOMAN WHO STOOD BEFORE THE BOARD
The Moretti board convened an emergency meeting.
Several directors wanted the entire matter handled quietly.
They feared reputational damage.
Financial losses.
Public scrutiny.
Nina sat beside Vivien.
She wore her oldest blazer.
The same one she had worn on her first day.
One director looked at her.
"Why is the temporary assistant here?"
Nina felt heat rise into her cheeks.
Before she could answer, Adrien spoke.
"Because she identified the discrepancies that brought us here."
The director frowned.
"She's not an executive."
Adrien looked at him.
"Neither was the person who warned us that our translation was fraudulent."
Silence.
Vivien nodded toward Nina.
"Please present your findings."
Nina stood.
Her hands trembled.
But her voice remained steady.
She explained the contractual discrepancies.
The hidden transfer of authority.
The false subsidiary information.
The suspicious communications.
Then she placed the original Italian text beside the English translation.
"The problem," she said, "wasn't simply that the translation was inaccurate."
She looked around the table.
"The problem was that people with authority were willing to sign something they hadn't fully understood."
Nobody spoke.
Nina continued.
"And people without authority were expected to remain silent even when they saw the danger."
May you like
Adrien watched her.
For once, he had nothing to add.
