Chapter 4 - Administrative Leave
The video had twenty-three million views by noon.
Daniel watched it once.
The clip began with him charging at Leonard Pike.
No champagne tower.
No Emma.
No Rosa shielding her.
Only Daniel Mercer, tattooed forearms exposed, grabbing an older man and throwing him into an illuminated wall.
The caption read:
LUXURY CEO ATTACKS GUEST AT FLAGSHIP PARTY.
Another account:
MERCER LUXE BILLIONAIRE LOSES CONTROL IN FRONT OF CUSTOMERS.
Daniel was not a billionaire.
That did not matter.
The story was simpler that way.
By 2:00 p.m., the board meeting began.
Seven directors appeared on the screen.
Owen sat in the conference room.
Celeste attended as a non-voting brand consultant.
Daniel had not invited her.
“What is she doing there?” he asked.
Celeste stared.
“I manage public image.”
“You are not an officer.”
Board chair Margaret Bell interrupted.
“Daniel, please.”
He leaned back.
Margaret had known Julia.
She was not easily manipulated.
That helped.
“We have two problems,” she said.
“One,” Daniel replied, “someone deliberately endangered my daughter.”
“And law enforcement is investigating.”
“And two?”
“Your conduct.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
Margaret did not flinch.
“The board cannot ignore the footage.”
“The footage is edited.”
“We know.”
“Then why are we pretending otherwise?”
“Because until the full facts are established, the company faces material risk.”
Owen spoke.
“I recommended a temporary leave.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You did?”
“Daniel, this isn’t punishment.”
“It never is.”
Owen sighed.
“Two weeks. Maybe less.”
“And who runs the company?”
“As CFO, I can coordinate with Margaret.”
Daniel looked at Celeste.
“And her?”
Celeste crossed her arms.
“I’m trying to keep the brand from being destroyed.”
Daniel almost shouted.
Then stopped.
That was what everyone expected.
The angry man from the video.
He lowered his voice.
“What exactly do you recommend?”
Celeste looked surprised by his calm.
“A statement.”
“Saying?”
“That you regret the physical confrontation.”
“I do.”
“And that the incident was caused by confusion during a chaotic emergency.”
Daniel stared.
“Confusion?”
“That’s what happened.”
“A man pushed a tower toward Emma.”
“That has not been proven.”
Rage flashed.
Daniel forced it down.
“It was witnessed.”
Celeste looked away.
Margaret spoke.
“The company should not state criminal conclusions before police do.”
That was reasonable.
Daniel hated it.
Owen shared a draft statement.
Daniel read.
Nothing about Emma’s accusation.
Nothing about Rosa’s rescue.
Nothing about Pike’s action.
Only Daniel’s “unacceptable physical response.”
“Who wrote this?”
Celeste answered.
“PR.”
Daniel looked at Owen.
“Did you approve it?”
“Yes.”
Daniel closed the document.
“No.”
Owen exhaled.
“Daniel.”
“I will apologize for assaulting Pike.”
Celeste looked relieved.
Daniel continued.
“But I will not describe the moment as random confusion.”
Owen leaned forward.
“We have shareholders.”
“I have a daughter.”
“You have both.”
Daniel stared.
Margaret finally intervened.
“The board is placing Daniel on paid administrative leave for fourteen days pending independent review.”
Daniel felt something shift.
He had founded the company.
Still, the board had authority under the employment agreement.
Julia had insisted on independent governance.
At the time Daniel argued they would never need it.
Now he was grateful.
Even when it hurt.
“Who leads the review?”
Margaret said:
“Outside counsel.”
“Not Owen.”
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“Good.”
The meeting ended.
Celeste remained on the call.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Come home.”
“No.”
Her face changed.
“This is our house.”
“I’m at our house.”
“Then why are you saying no?”
“Because Emma doesn’t want to see you.”
Celeste stared.
“She’s six.”
“Yes.”
“She does not decide our marriage.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice became cold.
“But she gets to decide whether she feels safe sitting in a room with you tonight.”
Celeste’s eyes narrowed.
“Rosa is putting things in her head.”
Daniel laughed.
“Rosa nearly got crushed protecting her.”
“And now she’s suddenly the hero.”
“She is the hero.”
Celeste stopped speaking.
Daniel watched her.
Something in her expression was not jealousy.
It was fear.
He almost missed it.
Then Celeste said:
“You need to get rid of Rosa.”
Daniel leaned closer.
“Why?”
“She’s trouble.”
“For who?”
Celeste ended the call.
Five minutes later Margaret phoned privately.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“There’s another issue.”
He closed his eyes.
“What?”
“Outside counsel asked IT to preserve event-camera data.”
“Good.”
“One system administrator reported that the tower camera wasn’t malfunctioning.”
Daniel sat upright.
“What happened?”
“It was manually disabled.”
“By who?”
“They’re still tracing access.”
Daniel thought of the six-minute gap.
“From inside the boutique?”
Margaret paused.
“No.”
Daniel’s skin went cold.
“The camera was disabled using Mercer Luxe corporate administrator credentials.”
Only six people had those credentials.
Daniel was one.
Owen another.
And Celeste had been issued temporary marketing access three months earlier.
May you like
The champagne tower did not collapse during a random crime.
Someone inside Daniel’s own company had made sure the clearest camera would not see it.
