Alexandra noticed.
“So your father disagrees?”
Daniel looked up.
“Do not involve me.”
His daughter grinned.
Alexandra smiled.
Something warm passed across the table.
Then the folder opened.
The warmth disappeared.
Daniel studied the certificate records.
His expression became serious.
“This is impossible.”
“What?”
“The former CTO credential authenticated against Treasury.”
“Security already told me.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“You don’t understand.”
“He never had Treasury permissions.”
Alexandra frowned.
“He was CTO.”
“Exactly.”
“Engineering and deployment.”
“Treasury production authorization was deliberately separate.”
“So the logs are fake.”
“Or reconstructed.”
“How?”
Daniel looked toward his daughter.
She had put on headphones and was drawing.
He lowered his voice.
“Someone wants attribution.”
“Not access.”
“To frame him?”
“Maybe.”
“For what?”
Daniel closed the folder.
“If a former executive attacks MeridianPay immediately after you replace him, what happens?”
“Police.”
“Investigation.”
“Bad press.”
“What else?”
“Markets.”
He nodded.
“And the board?”
Alexandra went still.
Strategic alternatives.
She looked at him.
“You think this is about control.”
“I think cyberattacks usually follow incentives.”
“Who wants the company?”
“NorthBridge.”
She stared.
He knew.
“Everyone knows.”
“They offered to buy us last year.”
“Board rejected it.”
“Barely.”
She leaned closer.
“What do you know?”
“Nothing.”
“Daniel.”
“Nothing provable.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
He smiled faintly.
“You’re learning.”
She ignored him.
“What have you heard?”
“Before the former CEO resigned, several infrastructure people were asked to produce accelerated merger-readiness documentation.”
“By whom?”
“Board Strategy Committee.”
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
“That isn’t unusual.”
“No.”
“What was unusual?”
“They asked for emergency integration plans.”
“If MeridianPay became operationally distressed.”
Alexandra stopped moving.
“Operationally distressed.”
“Yes.”
Same phrase from her afternoon meeting.
She reached for her phone.
Daniel caught her wrist.
Not hard.
Enough.
She looked down at his hand.
Then at him.
“Don’t.”
His voice was low.
She could feel the warmth of his fingers.
“Why?”
“If someone inside arranged this, calling the board now tells them we’re looking.”
Alexandra did not pull away.
Neither seemed to notice at first.
Then both did.
Daniel released her slowly.
His daughter continued drawing ten feet away.
Alexandra looked toward the folder.
“What do you suggest?”
“Act stupid.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Careful.”