Chapter 5 - THE AUDITORS' VERDICTThe lobby went dead silent. Even the distant hum of the estate's central air conditioning seemed to vanish.
One of the federal auditors stepped forward, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses as he stared at the yellowed envelope in Grant’s hand.
"Mr. Hawthorne," the auditor said cautiously. "Did you say Thomas Bennett?"
"I did," Grant said clearly. "My grandfather's personal confession letter, detailing the fraudulent buyout of Thomas Bennett's engineering designs and the deliberate suppression of ownership rights, has just been authenticated by the estate's legal vault records. Furthermore, your compliance team is currently standing in a house where my employee—and Mr. Bennett's legitimate heir—was forced to sacrifice her own emergency medication because our HR department's automated cost-cutting algorithm denied her life-saving prescription."
Grant turned his piercing gray gaze directly onto the federal compliance officers.
"I suggest," Grant continued, his voice dropping into a dangerously cold register, "that instead of investigating my medical emergency, your team immediately launches a full federal audit into corporate compliance, predatory insurance denial practices, and asset recovery for the Bennett estate spanning the last thirty years."
Julian staggered backward, his face turning an alarming shade of pale purple. "He's bluffing! That's a stunt! You can't just—"
"I am not bluffing, Julian," Grant interrupted sharply. He turned to the two security guards stationed near the main doors. "Escort Mr. Hawthorne off the property immediately. If he attempts to contact any board members or media outlets before nine o'clock tomorrow morning, have our legal team file an immediate injunction for corporate espionage and extortion."
"You can't do this!" Julian shrieked as two burly security guards grabbed him by the arms, lifting him off his feet as he thrashed and cursed. "I'll ruin you! I'll destroy both of you!"
The heavy oak doors swung open, and Julian was bodily hauled out into the cold Illinois rain, his shouts fading into the night as the doors slammed shut.
The lobby returned to an eerie, breathless quiet.
The lead auditor cleared his throat, looking nervously between Grant and Clara. "Mr. Hawthorne... if this document is authentic, the legal ramifications regarding Hawthorne Industries' equity distribution are... staggering."
"They are," Grant agreed without hesitation. "And we will rectify every single error made by my family, starting tomorrow morning. For tonight, our guests have left, the auditors are dismissed, and I have pressing personal matters to attend to."
The federal auditors exchanged glances, nodded respectfully, and packed their briefcases, hurrying toward the exit without another word.
When the heavy doors clicked shut behind them, Clara let out a long, shaky breath she felt like she'd been holding for an eternity. She looked at Grant, her mind spinning with a velocity she couldn't control.
"You... you just handed over half your empire," Clara whispered, staring at him in disbelief. "If those patents belong to my grandfather's estate, the legal restructuring means..."
"It means we are going to be business partners, Clara," Grant interrupted gently. There was no corporate coldness in his voice now—only a deep, resonant sincerity. "For the first time in twenty-two years, the books are going to be balanced. And it all started because a brave young woman reached into her pocket and chose to save a stranger's life instead of protecting her own."
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Clara looked down at her hands, still trembling slightly. "I didn't do it because of patents, Mr. Hawthorne. I did it because nobody deserves to suffocate on a floor while people watch."
"I know," Grant said softly. He reached out and gently placed the manila envelope back into her hands. "And that is why you are going to help me run this company the right way. But first... let's get you home to your sister. I believe we have a lot of explaining to do to Molly."
