They Refused to Pay a Single Dad $40—3 Days Later It Cost Them $12 Million
Chapter 6
Security records showed a single unusual entry.
11:47 p.m.
The night Marcus repaired the cooling system.
The badge belonged to a senior executive.
Avery stared at the screen.
“Who?”
The security manager hesitated.
“Mr. Sloan.”
Silence.
Richard looked furious.
“That’s impossible.”
Avery turned toward him.
“Your badge.”
“I was in my office.”
“The system says you entered the server room.”
“I didn’t.”
Marcus said nothing.
Richard pointed at him.
“This technician could have cloned my badge.”
Marcus shook his head.
“I don’t know how.”
Avery looked at security.
“Pull the camera footage.”
The footage appeared.
At 11:47 p.m., Richard entered the server room.
He stayed for six minutes.
Then left.
Richard stared at the screen.
His face went pale.
“I don’t remember that.”
Avery looked at him.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Richard shook his head.
“Someone used my badge.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“Maybe.”
Avery looked at him.
“But why?”
Marcus answered.
“Because someone wanted the system to fail.”
The room fell silent.
Avery asked:
“Why would someone inside Sterling want that?”
Marcus looked at the financial data.
“Insurance.”
Everyone froze.
Sterling Dynamics had recently taken out a massive cyber-disruption policy.
The company would receive millions if certain systems became unavailable.
Avery immediately called the insurance department.
Then federal investigators.
Richard was detained for questioning.
But Marcus wasn’t convinced Richard was the mastermind.
The badge could have been stolen.
The cameras could have been manipulated.
The evidence pointed toward him too perfectly.
That meant someone wanted Richard blamed.
Marcus told Avery.
“Don’t assume you’ve found the person responsible.”
Avery looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because whoever did this knew exactly what evidence would be found.”
Avery stared at him.
“You think someone framed my CFO?”
“I think someone is smarter than the person we’re looking at.”
Avery nodded.
Then her phone rang.
It was the company’s bank.
Their emergency account had been accessed.
Six million dollars had been transferred.
Avery’s face changed.
Marcus knew immediately.
“This isn’t over.”
