He wanted to ensure Alexander was locked away where he couldn’t speak to the press or the board before the vote.

I set the phone down and stared at the photo of Alexander.

He had spent his entire life building that company, believing he was carrying on his family’s legacy.

Now, he was sitting in a bare room with concrete walls, being questioned by federal prosecutors.

I stood up and went to the bathroom to dry my hair.

I rubbed a rough towel over my head, staring at myself in the mirror.

My eyes were red from the rain and the strain, but my hands had stopped shaking.

I went back to the kitchen and opened the drawer where I kept my old work supplies.

Beneath a stack of notebooks lay my official Vale Global security badge.

It was a blue plastic card with my photo on it.

“Clara Bennett. Executive Assistant.”

The card was still active.

Marcus had not thought to revoke my credentials yet, probably because he assumed I was nothing more than an accessory to Alexander’s downfall.