Hayley stood there, arms crossed, a tight smile stretched across her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Kenneth," she said pleasantly, "got a minute? " "Sure," he said, though something in his gut told him this wasn't going to be a friendly conversation. "I heard you've been putting together some numbers," Hayley said, keeping her voice light, casual, like they were discussing lunch plans instead of a supplier fraud case. "I just want to make sure whatever you're working on is fully accurate before it goes anywhere. Wouldn't want to cause any unnecessary panic based on incomplete data. " Kenneth's hand hovered over his keyboard.
"I've triple-checked everything. " "I'm sure you have," Hayley said, "but maybe hold off sending anything up the chain for now. Let me handle the situation with Mr. Marrow directly. No sense complicating things further while emotions are running high. " Kenneth hesitated, torn between the pressure radiating off his supervisor and the numbers glowing on his screen. Numbers that told a story he knew was true.
"Okay. " He said quietly, though the word tasted wrong the second it left his mouth. Haley smiled, satisfied, and walked away. Kenneth stared at his unsent email for a long moment before slowly closing the laptop lid, the report still sitting there, unfinished business waiting for a courage he wasn't sure he had yet. Two days passed before Julian Marrow walked back through Halbrook's front doors, this time dressed sharper than he had been on the plane. A clean button-down instead of flannel, though he still wore the same steady, unshaken look in his eyes.
Kenneth Pelham met him in the lobby, shook his hand, and led him up to the 14th floor, where a conference room had been reserved for the meeting Julian had personally requested. Haley Albert was already seated at the head of the table when they walked in, her expression carefully arranged into something professional. Something that didn't match the panic still churning underneath. "Mr. Marrow. " She said, standing to shake his hand.
"Thank you for coming in. " "Wasn't really a choice. " Julian said, taking his seat without returning much warmth. "Figured it was time somebody at this company looked me in the eye. " Haley sat back down, folding her hands in front of her. "Of course. I want you to know we take this matter very seriously. " "Good. " Julian said. "Then you'll understand why I'm here. " He didn't waste time with small talk.
He laid it out plain and simple, the same way he'd laid it out to Kenneth at baggage claim 2 days earlier. He wanted the underpayment clause removed. He wanted 2 years of lost income made right. And he wanted a public acknowledgement, not some vague corporate statement buried on a press page nobody would find. "I'm not asking for a handout," Julian said, voice steady.
"I'm asking for what's fair. What was owed to me from the start. " Hayley nodded along, her face doing a careful impression of concern. "I completely understand your position. And I want you to know Halbrook values this partnership immensely. " "Then fix it," Julian said simply. "These things take time," Hayley said.
"Contract renegotiations go through legal, through finance, through several layers of approval. I promise you I will personally make sure this gets the attention it deserves. " Julian studied her for a long moment. The same look he'd given her on the plane. The one that saw straight through the polish to whatever was underneath. "Time," he repeated slowly.
"Funny. You had plenty of time to write that clause into my contract. Didn't take you 2 years to do that. " Hayley's jaw tightened. "I understand your frustration. " "Do you? " Julian leaned forward slightly. "Because from where I'm sitting it looks a whole lot like stalling. " "I assure you it's not," Hayley said, though her voice had gone thinner, tighter around the edges.