“Yes.”
“Sophie Mercer?”
Olivia grinned. “See? Very mysterious.”
Richard stepped closer.
Recognition turned to disbelief.
Then he said slowly, “Sophie, I’ve been looking for you for fourteen months.”
The laughter vanished.
Olivia blinked.
“For Sophie?”
Richard ignored her.
“Were you working with Halden Risk Advisory last year?”
My stomach tightened.
“Yes.”
His expression changed completely.
“You were the analyst.”
Silence.
Evan approached from behind us.
“What analyst?”
Richard looked at his son.
“The person who uncovered the Meridian procurement fraud.”
Evan went pale.
Fourteen months earlier, a third-party compliance firm had hired me to investigate suspicious supplier payments inside Vale Meridian.
I uncovered shell companies, fabricated invoices, and executive kickbacks worth nearly $31 million.
But the worst discovery was buried deeper.
Someone inside the company had tried to delete records after learning an audit was underway.
The deletion had been authorized using Evan Vale’s executive credentials.
Because the investigation became criminal, my identity was protected under a confidentiality agreement.
Richard had only known me as S. Mercer.
Until now.
Olivia laughed nervously.
“This is some misunderstanding. Sophie barely talks.”
Richard finally looked at her.
“Mrs. Mercer, your sister’s report prevented my company from losing tens of millions of dollars.”
Then he turned back to me.
