I saw Victoria Crane stand up from her table near the front, her face pale and furious.

“He’s insane,” Victoria whispered loudly to the investor beside her. “Get him off the stage.”

“Three weeks ago, I was removed from my own company,” Alexander continued, his eyes locked on Marcus who was now pushing through the crowd. “You were told it was due to financial mismanagement.”

“That is a lie,” Alexander said, his voice rising above the murmurs. “The missing forty million dollars did not go to my accounts. It went to a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands under the name of Crane Capital’s subsidiaries.”

The room erupted into quiet chaos.

Dozens of phones were raised to record the scene.

“Stop him!” Marcus shouted, his voice cracking as he reached the edge of the stage. “He is trespassing! Call the police!”

The guard holding my arm took half a step toward the stage, his attention entirely diverted by the shouting.

I saw my opening.

I twisted my arm out of his loosened grip and took three quick steps backward into the crowd of onlookers.