Chapter 10 - DOMINIC’S COMPANY WAS STILL HIDING SOMETHING
Ward’s conviction did not end Vale Maritime’s internal audit.
If anything, it made the board more suspicious.
Calvin Rourke had not acted alone in procurement manipulation.
Not necessarily crime conspiracy.
But systems had allowed.
Related-party vendors.
No bid exceptions.
Family recommendations.
Manual overrides.
Dominic’s grandfather-era culture.
“Trust people you know.”
Cheap until someone weaponizes.
Independent compliance team found thirty-one vendor relationships requiring review.
Most legitimate.
Six overpriced.
Three with undisclosed ownership connections to old Vale associates.
One particularly troubling:
North Harbor Protective Services.
Provided warehouse security.
Its subcontractor had handled medical-logistics deliveries for Meridian.
Not illegal alone.
Owner?
Dominic’s uncle Carlo held silent minority interest through trust.
Dominic stared at report.
Emily was in Chicago that weekend.
He showed because relationship and because attack touched. Maybe company confidential? Could not casually show. Better he tells broad after cleared by counsel.
“Carlo.”
She said.
“Yes.”
“Did he know Ward?”
“Claims not.”
“Rourke?”
“Yes.”
“Everyone knew Rourke.”
“Did he benefit?”
“From security contracts.”
“Disclosed?”
“No.”
There.
Governance.
Dominic’s instinct:
Confront uncle.
Board counsel said not yet.
He complied.
Then Carlo appeared at Dominic home anyway.
He knew audit.
Old network talks.
Emily was there.
Lucy too, visiting Chicago? This adds tension; keep Lucy upstairs with nanny? Emily has no nanny. Dominic arranged babysitter chosen by Emily. Let's have Lucy with Emily in guest room and Dominic doesn't expose.
Carlo demanded privacy.
Emily offered leave.
Dominic said:
“No.”
But since company matter confidential, maybe yes, she should not be present. Good boundaries. Emily went upstairs.
She heard no details.
Later Dominic came.
Face gray.
“What?”
“He admitted interest.”
“In North Harbor?”
“Yes.”
“Crime?”
“He says no.”
“Believe?”
“I believe he cared more about family profit than procurement rules.”
“He may not know tampering.”
“And?”
Dominic sat.
“He told me Rourke came to him asking whether audit could be ‘slowed.’”
“Carlo told him I was stubborn.”
Emily raised eyebrow.
“Accurate.”
“He did not tell me.”
“That matters.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“He says he thought Rourke only worried losing job.”
Could be true.
Still silence.
Dominic’s board required Carlo divest all vendor interests and end advisory role.
Carlo furious.
Threatened family split.
Dominic did not cave.
At family dinner, old relatives accused him of humiliating uncle publicly.
Dominic said:
“He humiliated himself by hiding financial interest.”
Emily later heard.
Proud.
But danger came from another source.
Someone tried to access archived Vale audit files remotely.
IT blocked.
Credential belonged to former procurement assistant who left six months earlier.
Investigators contacted.
She admitted Rourke had asked her before arrest to copy vendor exception files to personal drive.
She had.
Drive still existed.
Why?
She feared being blamed.
Files showed internal notes.
One referred to “D.V. medical travel vulnerability.”
Emily’s skin went cold.
This was before airplane by three months.
Rourke had asked corporate security liaison about Dominic’s allergies.
Claimed travel-safety review.
Then downloaded his medical emergency protocol.
So attack planned farther.
Dominic read.
Not anger first.
Fear.
“Anyone with access knew.”
Emily:
“Not anyone.”
“Specific records.”
“Still.”
He paced.
“I built an organization where people assumed executives could access private medical data if senior enough.”
“That changes now.”
“Yes.”
He implemented separation.
Medical data only medical/security need-to-know.
Audit logs.
No procurement access.
Independent compliance.
Some executives complained bureaucracy.
Dominic said:
“Bureaucracy is cheaper than funeral.”
Hard to argue.
Then tabloid article:
MAFIA BOSS PURGES FAMILY FROM EMPIRE AFTER NURSE GIRLFRIEND TAKES CONTROL.
Emily was furious.
“I took control?”
Dominic almost laughed.
“Apparently.”
“They call me nurse girlfriend.”
“You are nurse.”
“Also more.”
“I know.”
She stared.
“Do you?”
He sobered.
“Yes.”
Then public appearance board? Emily did not respond.
Dominic issued no personal defense. Company statement focused governance.
Good.
But article got under Emily.
Her old fear.
People saying powerful man restored her career.
Now saying she controls him.
Women's competence erased either way.
She considered ending relationship to protect work.
Dr. Patel asked:
“Do you want end?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Optics.”
“Whose?”
“Internet.”
Dr. Patel stared.
“Are you taking relationship advice from comment section?”
Emily laughed.
Ridiculous.
No.
She stayed.
Then Dominic offered something important.
“I’m stepping back from Vale Foundation decisions involving medical grants.”
“Why?”
“Conflict.”
“You mean me?”
“Your emerging career may intersect.”
“Yes.”
“Independent committee.”
Good.
He learned.
Emily began postgraduate certificate in healthcare quality and safety.
Night classes.
Work.
Lucy.
Relationship.
Exhausting.
Dominic offered tutor? She said no.
He offered childcare when in Chicago? Could help, but she kept network. He sometimes babysat Lucy? Gradually.
First time Lucy stayed with Dominic for two hours while Emily exam, she set rules.
No security parade.
No sugar.
Emergency contacts.
Lucy returned with three desserts.
Emily glared.
Dominic:
“One was fruit.”
“Pie is not fruit.”
“Contains fruit.”
Lucy laughed.
Family feeling.
Then security alert.
A storage unit rented under North Star shell company had been identified outside Phoenix.
Investigators searched.
Inside old boxes.
Medical invoices.
Returned stock.
And records from St. Matthew’s.
Among them:
A photocopy of Emily’s original personnel file.
Her home address at time.
Pregnancy insurance update.
Why would North Star have her personnel file?
Ward likely provided.
More troubling:
A handwritten note from Rourke:
CARTER WON’T SIGN REVISED INCIDENT STATEMENT. WARD SAYS BOARD PROCESS WILL HANDLE.
Emily froze.
They had discussed her refusal.
Ward had offered her revised statement after Marcus died.
She refused to say she delayed.
Then discipline.
It had been deliberate.
Not just coverup after.
They chose her as scapegoat because she wouldn’t cooperate.
Dominic read copy with her permission.
His jaw tightened.
“Four years.”
Emily nodded.
“You cleaned floors because you refused to lie.”
“I cleaned floors because nobody hired me.”
“Because you refused.”
She looked.
Maybe.
Integrity had cost.
Then:
“Do you regret?”
She thought.
“No.”
The answer surprised.
“If I signed, maybe kept job.”
“But I would have helped them bury Marcus.”
No.
Then Dominic said:
“Marry me.”
Emily stared.
“What?”
He looked horrified at himself.
“That wasn’t planned.”
She started laughing.
“Dominic.”
“Forget it.”
“No.”
He covered face.
“I had a speech.”
“You have a speech?”
“Not now.”
She laughed harder.
Then softened.
“Not yet.”
He looked up.
“But not no?”
“Not no.”
For a man used to absolute answers, that might have been cruel.
He smiled anyway.
The case had taught both of them:
May you like
not yet is still an answer.
And love that deserves trust knows how to wait.
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