Two days later, Prescott Logistics held its first employee forum since Daniel's termination.<\/p>\n
Marcus initially wanted to postpone it.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo many unanswered questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will still be unanswered questions next month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's why we talk to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat can we say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth we can responsibly say.\u201d<\/p>\n
No speculation.<\/p>\n
No criminal conclusions.<\/p>\n
No family details.<\/p>\n
But silence had become toxic inside Prescott.<\/p>\n
Rumors were already moving through warehouses faster than any official memo.<\/p>\n
Daniel arrested.<\/p>\n
Daniel fleeing the country.<\/p>\n
Company bankrupt.<\/p>\n
Westbridge walking away.<\/p>\n
Claire taking over permanently.<\/p>\n
Employees losing their trust shares.<\/p>\n
Most were false.<\/p>\n
All were filling a vacuum.<\/p>\n
The forum took place in our largest distribution warehouse.<\/p>\n
No stage.<\/p>\n
Just folding chairs, portable microphones and a screen displaying basic company information.<\/p>\n
I stood beside Marcus.<\/p>\n
The employee-trust representative, Anita Flores, sat in the front row with newly retained independent counsel.<\/p>\n
I recognized some faces from the earliest years.<\/p>\n
Others were strangers.<\/p>\n
That was my fault too, in a way.<\/p>\n
I had stepped away so completely that a company I helped build had grown into something whose people I barely knew.<\/p>\n
Marcus spoke first.<\/p>\n
\u201cOperations remain stable.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reviewed customers.<\/p>\n
Cash position.<\/p>\n
Vendor transitions.<\/p>\n
No financial theatrics.<\/p>\n
Then I spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't discuss allegations beyond verified company actions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became very quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel Prescott has been terminated for cause following board review. Certain vendor and governance matters are under investigation. Prescott Logistics is cooperating with outside counsel and authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n
No gasps.<\/p>\n
Most already knew some version.<\/p>\n
I continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company is not shutting down.\u201d<\/p>\n
A visible wave of relief moved through the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cPayroll is funded.\u201d<\/p>\n
More relief.<\/p>\n
\u201cBenefits remain in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone in the back exhaled loudly enough that others laughed.<\/p>\n
The tension loosened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe employee trust still holds ten percent of Prescott Logistics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat interest is not being canceled, quietly diluted or traded away without independent representation.\u201d<\/p>\n
That earned the first applause.<\/p>\n
Not thunderous.<\/p>\n
But real.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are evaluating strategic options, including remaining independent or considering a sale. No decision has been made.\u201d<\/p>\n
A man near the aisle raised his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas the company actually going to be sold without us knowing?\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cA prior potential transaction was under discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould our trust have been protected?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot adequately, in my view.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murmurs.<\/p>\n
I could have blamed Daniel.<\/p>\n
I didn't.<\/p>\n
The records would speak through proper processes.<\/p>\n
Another employee asked, \u201cAre you becoming CEO?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That drew surprised laughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'll serve as board chair during the investigation. Marcus is interim CEO.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone shouted, \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus pointed toward the voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard that.\u201d<\/p>\n
More laughter.<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
This felt more important than any boardroom.<\/p>\n
Companies existed in filings and valuations.<\/p>\n
But they survived through people who drove trucks, answered customer calls, reconciled invoices, scheduled routes and fixed systems at two in the morning.<\/p>\n
Their trust interest had been one line in Daniel's scheme.<\/p>\n
To them, it represented retirement.<\/p>\n
Tuition.<\/p>\n
Security.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy should we trust the board now?\u201d a woman asked.<\/p>\n
Excellent question.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn't trust us because we ask you to.\u201d<\/p>\n
The warehouse became quiet again.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust the controls.\u201d<\/p>\n
I put procurement reforms on the screen.<\/p>\n
Independent review.<\/p>\n
Conflict disclosure.<\/p>\n
Dual approvals.<\/p>\n
Direct shareholder verification.<\/p>\n
Employee-trust counsel.<\/p>\n
Whistleblower channel run by an outside provider.<\/p>\n
No executive override without documentation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf those systems fail, challenge them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone asked, \u201cEven you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially me.\u201d<\/p>\n
That felt like Dad.<\/p>\n
Afterward, employees stayed.<\/p>\n
Not to praise me.<\/p>\n
To ask specific questions.<\/p>\n
Would vendor changes affect routes?<\/p>\n
Would bonuses survive?<\/p>\n
What happened to Daniel's office?<\/p>\n
Could people cooperate with investigators without retaliation?<\/p>\n
Would the trust have a vote in any sale?<\/p>\n
We answered what we could.<\/p>\n
When I finally stepped away, Anita approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we talk?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her attorney joined.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reviewed the old Westbridge documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe employee trust was scheduled to receive less than proportional value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know who objected?\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked across the warehouse.<\/p>\n
Marcus was speaking with two dispatch supervisors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMonths ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmails.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had not seen them.<\/p>\n
\u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita's attorney opened a tablet.<\/p>\n
Marcus to Daniel:<\/p>\n
Employee trust treatment appears inconsistent with capitalization. Please explain reduction.<\/p>\n
Daniel:<\/p>\n
Retention and restructuring affect effective value.<\/p>\n
Marcus:<\/p>\n
Not their ownership percentage.<\/p>\n
Daniel:<\/p>\n
We'll discuss offline.<\/p>\n
Marcus:<\/p>\n
Put explanation in writing.<\/p>\n
Daniel never did.<\/p>\n
A week later, Marcus followed up.<\/p>\n
Then again.<\/p>\n
He had been asking questions long before the investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't he tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita smiled slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe because everyone thought you wanted nothing to do with the company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's story had worked again.<\/p>\n
I walked toward Marcus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you tell me about the trust?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich part?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou challenged Westbridge's treatment months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced at Anita.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you call me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel said you supported the structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you believed him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't have your number.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have found it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked embarrassed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Daniel had spent years making it clear that going around him to you was disloyal.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Control over access.<\/p>\n
Not only mine.<\/p>\n
Everyone's.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have called.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNext time?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI call.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next time.<\/p>\n
I liked that phrase.<\/p>\n
It implied Prescott had a future beyond crisis.<\/p>\n
That afternoon, Anita formally notified the board that the employee trust would not support any transaction until its counsel confirmed proportional treatment and protections.<\/p>\n
Ten percent.<\/p>\n
Not enough to control the company.<\/p>\n
Enough to matter.<\/p>\n
And for once, nobody treated them as decoration.<\/p>\n
Westbridge responded positively.<\/p>\n
They agreed in principle to direct consultation with trust counsel.<\/p>\n
That made their bid stronger.<\/p>\n
Not because they were generous.<\/p>\n
Because clarity reduced litigation risk.<\/p>\n
Good governance often aligned ethics and economics more than cynical people admitted.<\/p>\n
Falcon Ridge withdrew its preliminary interest after learning the employee trust would demand independent treatment and that Daniel no longer controlled the process.<\/p>\n
Their letter was polite.<\/p>\n
Their enthusiasm disappeared once shortcuts did.<\/p>\n
I wasn't disappointed.<\/p>\n
That evening, Daniel asked to meet with the employee-trust representatives.<\/p>\n
Anita brought the request to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I have to approve?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you object?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does he want it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says he wants to apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita crossed her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believe him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn't matter whether I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
She considered that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question made me uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
Not because I didn't know.<\/p>\n
Because I did not want to become another person deciding what everyone else should feel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to hear him, hear him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if we don't?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like that answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
They agreed to a meeting.<\/p>\n
Not private.<\/p>\n
Trust counsel present.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Sloan present for Daniel.<\/p>\n
Marcus attended because operational questions could arise.<\/p>\n
I was not planning to go.<\/p>\n
Then Anita asked me to.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause some of what happened was about using your silence to justify decisions affecting us.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about it.<\/p>\n
Then agreed.<\/p>\n
We met in the same conference room where Daniel had once declared Prescott his company.<\/p>\n
He entered without a suit jacket.<\/p>\n
No expensive watch.<\/p>\n
No polished CEO performance.<\/p>\n
He sat at the far end.<\/p>\n
Anita spoke first.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked around the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cI failed you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simple.<\/p>\n
No preamble.<\/p>\n
Anita waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cI treated the employee trust like an obstacle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI supported transaction terms that reduced your value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told myself bonuses could make up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey couldn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I thought the company existed mainly because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus shifted.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew intellectually that wasn't true.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you believe emotionally?\u201d Anita asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat if I wasn't the person in control, then none of the achievement counted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room stayed quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds like your problem,\u201d Anita said.<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you made it ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Good.<\/p>\n
No excuse.<\/p>\n
Anita opened a folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy trust account represents employees who spent years building the company too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were going to let Falcon Ridge weaken us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWestbridge too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou expected us to accept it because you were CEO.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you have told us before closing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
A warehouse mechanic named Tomas Alvarez attended as one of the trust's advisory members.<\/p>\n
He had worked for Prescott nine years.<\/p>\n
He leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife has cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's face changed.<\/p>\n
Tomas continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trust is part of my retirement plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you don't.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw percentages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tomas tapped the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw whether I'd be able to stop working at sixty-five.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tomas shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry doesn't put ownership back if you sell it away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we still have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel glanced toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Claire stopped me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe documents stopped you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ownership agreement. The employee trust. The bank controls. Board authority. People who finally spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked around the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis cannot become a story where one person saved everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was exactly how the old problem began.<\/p>\n
First Daniel was the hero who built everything.<\/p>\n
Then I risked becoming the hero who rescued it.<\/p>\n
Both stories were too simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus challenged the trust treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pointed toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cRachel preserved evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura protected the certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmma came forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNina followed the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnita demanded representation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmployees kept operations running while executives created chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo single person owns Prescott's survival.\u201d<\/p>\n
He understood.<\/p>\n
Maybe for the first time.<\/p>\n
After the meeting, Daniel remained behind.<\/p>\n
Rebecca waited near the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were right,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hero story.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gathered my papers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used it because it made everything easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStories do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed to be the founder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were a founder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed to be the founder.\u201d<\/p>\n
I understood the distinction.<\/p>\n
One of several people who built something was not enough.<\/p>\n
He needed singular authorship.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you remember the first warehouse?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe roof leaked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kept buckets in the accounting office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n
He almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee? This is why we stayed married so long.\u201d<\/p>\n
The joke hurt.<\/p>\n
Not cruelly.<\/p>\n
Just because it came from the man I used to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
His smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I held my bag tighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot nostalgia your way around this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn't trying to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at the empty table.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ever feel like I built more of it than you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought before answering.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes lifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why keep fifty-one percent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause contribution isn't measured only in hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
He listened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ran operations longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI supplied capital at the moment capital mattered most.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI built financial systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou built customer relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI negotiated financing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou expanded routes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI stepped away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn't have to erase me for your contribution to be real.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is what your mother never taught you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what you chose not to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The distinction again.<\/p>\n
Influence and choice.<\/p>\n
He looked toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom was charged today.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire will hear anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Rebecca.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat charges?\u201d<\/p>\n
She spoke carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't represent Evelyn. Public filings indicate allegations involving fraud and unauthorized transfers. I suggest you rely on official documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair.<\/p>\n
No speculation.<\/p>\n
Daniel stared at the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called me from her lawyer's office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat this happened because I was weak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
Even now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she taught me weakness was needing anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remained still.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat I believed her.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that I destroyed the best thing in my life proving I didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked away.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I wanted to comfort him.<\/p>\n
The impulse was immediate.<\/p>\n
Old.<\/p>\n
Almost physical.<\/p>\n
Then I recognized it.<\/p>\n
Not love.<\/p>\n
Habit.<\/p>\n
I let the feeling pass without acting.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe's furious with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you cooperated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you regret it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer mattered.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says families don't testify against each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies also shouldn't forge each other's signatures.\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed once through tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
We walked toward the door.<\/p>\n
Before leaving, Daniel said, \u201cWhen this is over, will you ever forgive me?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want to?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another difficult question.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hope flashed across his face.<\/p>\n
I ended it before he misunderstood.<\/p>\n
\u201cForgiveness is not reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the most I could give him.<\/p>\n
Later, Dana sent public filing details confirming charges had been brought against Evelyn connected to the estate transfer and fraudulent communications.<\/p>\n
Victor faced separate allegations.<\/p>\n
Investigations into Daniel and Andrew remained active.<\/p>\n
No final outcomes yet.<\/p>\n
No assumptions.<\/p>\n
Preserve uncertainty.<\/p>\n
That mattered even in my own story.<\/p>\n
At home, I looked at Evelyn's \u201cEND STATES\u201d page again.<\/p>\n
Westbridge closes.<\/p>\n
Falcon Ridge.<\/p>\n
Voting agreement.<\/p>\n
Worst case: Claire wakes up.<\/p>\n
I turned the paper over.<\/p>\n
On the blank side, I wrote:<\/p>\n
Best case: everyone does.<\/p>\n
Then I placed it in Dad's file.<\/p>\n
Not because I thought awakening erased consequences.<\/p>\n
It didn't.<\/p>\n
Daniel was still terminated.<\/p>\n
Evelyn still faced charges.<\/p>\n
Our marriage was still ending.<\/p>\n
The company still had months of difficult work ahead.<\/p>\n
But waking up did mean something.<\/p>\n
It meant no one person got to define reality for everyone else anymore.<\/p>\n
Not Daniel.<\/p>\n
Not Evelyn.<\/p>\n
Not me.<\/p>\n
And when the board convened the next morning to vote on whether Westbridge should enter exclusive negotiations, every voting interest would be represented by people who knew exactly what they owned.<\/p>\n
For the first time in years, consent would mean what it was supposed to mean.<\/p>\n
Two days later, Prescott Logistics held its first employee forum since Daniel's termination. Marcus initially wanted to postpone it. \u201cToo many unanswered questions.\u201d \u201cThere will still be unanswered questions next … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15732"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15760,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15732\/revisions\/15760"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}