Chapter 7 - GRAHAM STERLING HAD BEEN TOO TRUSTING, NOT SECRETLY OMNISCIENTI had expected Chloe’s father to become the mastermind.
He wasn’t.
Graham had known HaloHouse worked for Sterling.
He knew Chloe owned part of it.
He believed the audit committee knew too.
Why?
Leonard Pike told him they had completed related-party review.
There was an email.
Pike: Chloe interest disclosed and cleared through standard process.
Graham replied:
Good. Keep me away from rate negotiations.
That helped him.
He had actually attempted recusal.
But the audit committee had never received a full ownership disclosure.
Pike lied.
Why?
Because Pike had another relationship with HaloHouse.
His adult son owned part of ViralCore Audience Labs through a trust.
There.
Related parties inside related parties.
Pike had approved vendor spending that benefited his son.
Now we had a real conflict.
Again:
May you like
Not proof every invoice was fraudulent.
But enough to investigate.
