"I was protecting the company."
"You were protecting your position."
The line landed clean. Vanessa's composure finally cracked. "Do you think those are different, here? Do you know what it's like standing next to someone like you, watching everyone orbit your genius while the people holding this place together get treated like they're replaceable? I made myself indispensable. That's what this place rewards."
"And did it work?" I asked her.
She had no answer.
"Madison—Vanessa," Derek said, catching himself, "did you alter investor materials using information from the trust documents?"
"No."
"Did you use Claire's connection to shape strategy without disclosing it?"
She looked away.
"That's not a no," he said.
"I flagged Kingsley Holdings as emotionally sensitive," she admitted. "I wrote a note that said any personal connection to Claire should be avoided — unless it became useful."
"Unless it became useful," I repeated, the cold returning.
"I didn't know you," she said.
