“He wanted to strike before we could react,” Benjamin said, his voice grim.

“This is a preemptive strike to ruin your credibility before you can bring the financial evidence to the board.”

Jonathan looked at me, his face pale, his eyes filled with a desperate determination.

“I have to do it,” he said.

“Do what?” I asked.

“I have to step down,” he said. “Publicly. Tonight.”

“If I resign as CEO, the story loses its corporate angle.”

“It becomes a private matter.”

“It is the only way to take the wind out of his sails.”

“But the damage is already done to Mariana,” Benjamin pointed out. “Her face is on the news.”

“We have to fight back with the evidence,” I said, my voice rising. “We cannot let him win.”

“If we leak the evidence now, it looks like a retaliatory smear,” Benjamin cautioned.

“The board will rally behind Harrison to protect the stock price.”

The phone in Jonathan’s hand began to ring again.

This time, it was his assistant from the office.

He answered it, his face tightening as he listened.