Chapter 2 - The Audit Begins
The morning following the disastrous engagement party, the fallout hit the Thorne corporate office like an artillery strike.
At 8:00 AM, Marcus walked into Thorne Capital’s top-floor executive suite expecting to spin the story. He planned to claim Zariah was mentally unhinged and that Dr. Vance was suffering from age-related confusion. Instead, he found his father, Robert Thorne, sitting at the head of the boardroom table alongside three high-ranking federal investigators and Ethan Thorne, Marcus's older brother.
"What is this?" Marcus demanded, trying to project his usual arrogance. "Dad, if this is about last night, Zariah staged the entire thing—"
"Be quiet, Marcus," Robert said softly. For the first time, the senior Thorne looked old. "David didn't just salute Major Marsh last night. He called General Vance at the Pentagon. And then he called the Department of Defense Inspector General."
Marcus felt the blood drain from his face. "Why would he do that?"
Ethan pushed a thick stack of financial audits across the table. "Because for three years, Marcus, you’ve been bragging to investors that Thorne Capital secured a $40 million defense logistics contract through your 'personal connections' in military procurement. You told the board you personally negotiated with Special Operations Command."
Ethan stood up, leaning over the table. "Major Zariah Marsh happens to be the primary signatory officer for all defense procurement audits in this district. When Uncle David mentioned her name to the General, the DOD did a quick search. You didn't secure that contract through skill, Marcus. You forged clearance documents, used stolen military credentials, and diverted $6 million in government funds into shell accounts."
"That's a lie!" Marcus shouted, clutching the back of a chair.
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"We ran the digital signature on the fraudulent clearance papers this morning," one of the federal agents spoke up, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "It matches your personal IP address, Mr. Thorne. You used your relationship with Chloe Marsh—and her access to her sister’s mail and old military discharge paperwork stored at her parents' house—to steal Major Marsh's identity clearance codes."
Marcus stumbled backward, his back hitting the glass wall of the conference room. He looked wildly around the room, but his father turned his face away, unable to look at him.
