Chapter 9 – The Call No CEO Wants
Landen stood motionless, his car keys resting on the marble countertop.
For the first time since I had known him, he looked completely defeated.
He wasn't thinking about the divorce anymore.
He wasn't thinking about Naomi.
He wasn't even thinking about the house.
He was thinking about what the auditors might already have found.
The silence was broken by Cedric.
"Daddy?"
Landen turned toward our son.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Are you going to work?"
Landen looked down at the keys.
"I... don't know."
Cedric frowned.
"You always go to work."
His innocent observation hit harder than any accusation.
Landen managed a weak smile.
"I guess today is different."
Cedric nodded and returned to eating his cereal.
I watched my husband carefully.
For years, his entire identity had revolved around being the successful businessman who could solve every problem.
Now, for the first time, he was facing one he couldn't charm his way out of.
His phone rang again.
The screen displayed Rachel Simmons – Operations Director.
He answered immediately.
"Rachel."
Her voice was loud enough that several of us could hear parts of the conversation.
"Landen, where are you?"
"At home."
"You need to get here."
"I'm trying."
"No."
She sounded frustrated.
"Listen to me first."
He pressed the phone tighter against his ear.
"The auditors have already interviewed accounting."
His face stiffened.
"So?"
"They've spoken to Human Resources."
"And?"
"They're asking for board meeting minutes."
His breathing became shallow.
"Fine."
"Landen..."
"What?"
"They're also asking about the emergency transfer."
His eyes slowly found mine.
"What about it?"
"They want to know why your wife signed the authorization instead of you."
He didn't answer.
Rachel continued.
"And they're asking why the company needed emergency financing after reporting record revenue six months ago."
Howard frowned.
"Record revenue?"
He looked at his son.
"I thought business had been terrible."
Landen closed his eyes.
"It got worse."
Rachel's voice interrupted again.
"No, Landen."
"What?"
"They're saying the numbers don't match."
The room became completely silent.
"What numbers?"
"Our financial statements."
Landen gripped the phone tighter.
"Rachel..."
"The revenue reports submitted to investors aren't matching the bank records."
A chill ran through the room.
Cynthia looked at me but said nothing.
Rachel continued speaking.
"The auditors also found two different versions of last year's financial statements."
Landen leaned against the counter for support.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"Who gave them those files?"
"They came from our own server."
His breathing became uneven.
"I'll be there soon."
"Don't bother."
"What?"
"They've locked the executive offices."
His head snapped up.
"They what?"
"They changed the access codes."
"Who authorized that?"
"The board."
Those two words hit him harder than anything else that morning.
"The board can't do that."
"They already did."
Howard looked stunned.
"They're locking you out of your own office?"
Rachel spoke again.
"They've called an emergency board meeting."
"When?"
"In one hour."
"Without me?"
"They invited you."
Landen frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"They said you should attend..."
She hesitated.
"...with your attorney."
The call ended.
Nobody spoke.
Landen slowly lowered the phone.
His hands were shaking.
"What happened?" Laurel asked nervously.
He looked at all of us before answering.
"The board doesn't trust me anymore."
Howard sank into a chair.
"That's impossible."
"I built that company."
I quietly corrected him.
"We built it."
He looked at me.
"You weren't involved in operations."
"No."
"But I helped secure financing."
"I negotiated vendor contracts."
"I guaranteed loans."
"I reviewed acquisitions."
"And every year, I warned you to strengthen internal controls."
He stared at me.
"You always worried too much."
"No."
"I simply understood something you never did."
"What?"
"Businesses don't collapse overnight."
I paused.
"They collapse one decision at a time."
Those words hung heavily in the air.
For the first time, Landen didn't argue.
Because he knew I was right.
The front doorbell rang again.
Everyone looked toward the foyer.
The deputy opened the door.
A young woman in a navy business suit stood outside carrying a sealed envelope.
"Good morning," she said professionally.
"I'm looking for Mr. Landen Bradley."
"I'm Landen."
She stepped inside.
"My name is Amanda Pierce."
She handed him the envelope.
"I've been instructed to deliver this immediately following the bank's notification."
Landen accepted it cautiously.
"What is it?"
"I'm corporate counsel for Bradley Commerce Creative."
His eyes widened.
"Our company lawyer?"
"Yes."
He opened the envelope.
His expression changed almost instantly.
"No..."
His voice cracked.
"This can't be right."
Amanda remained calm.
"The board voted unanimously thirty minutes ago."
Howard stood up.
"What did they do?"
Landen couldn't answer.
His hands trembled so violently that the papers slipped onto the floor.
Amanda quietly picked them up and handed them to Cynthia instead.
She read the first page.
Then looked at me.
Then back at Landen.
Her expression remained professional, but there was unmistakable sympathy in her eyes.
Finally, she spoke.
"Effective immediately..."
She paused just long enough for everyone to understand the weight of the moment.
"...Mr. Landen Bradley has been placed on administrative leave as Chief Executive Officer pending the outcome of the financial investigation."
The title he had spent fifteen years building...
Was gone in a single paragraph.
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And for the first time that day, Landen looked less like the man who had tried to throw me out of our home—
And more like a man who realized his entire life was falling apart.
