Chapter 10 - THE PEOPLE HE NEVER NOTICEDHer name was Elena Voss.
Thirty-two.
Former executive operations manager at Barron Mobility.
She agreed to meet Whitcomb Capital's investigators only if company counsel and an independent HR consultant were present.
Aaron did not attend.
That was intentional.
He didn't want his personal experience influencing her testimony.
Dana called him afterward.
“She was credible.”
“What happened?”
Dana read from her notes.
Elena described a company divided into two Chases.
One for investors.
One for everyone else.
In boardrooms, Chase was charming.
Focused.
Visionary.
With powerful customers, he remembered children's names and anniversaries.
With junior employees, service workers and anyone he believed had little leverage, something shifted.
He used humiliation as management.
“If someone pushed back?” Aaron asked.
“He'd ask whether they knew how replaceable they were.”
Aaron said nothing.
“There are examples.”
“Give me one.”
“A receptionist mistakenly seated a vendor in the investor lounge. Chase made her stand in front of a staff meeting while he explained what ‘basic people’ were supposed to understand about hierarchy.”
Aaron's jaw tightened.
“Another?”
“A driver refused to speed because of traffic. Chase threatened his job in front of passengers.”
“Another?”
Dana hesitated.
“A catering worker spilled wine on Chase's jacket at an event.”
Aaron already knew where this was going.
“What did he do?”
“Dumped the rest of his own glass onto the man's uniform.”
Aaron closed his eyes.
“Any physical violence?”
“Not according to Elena. Milo may be the first documented incident of that kind.”
“Documented.”
“Correct.”
Elena had also preserved messages.
Emails.
Voice notes.
One recording.
Counsel was still assessing whether the recording could be used due to California's two-party consent rules.
Aaron told Dana not to rely on it.
“If the evidence isn't usable, treat it like it doesn't exist.”
“Understood.”
“But interview anyone independently named in her documents.”
“Already happening.”
Later that afternoon, Aaron took Milo to soccer practice.
Milo usually ran onto the field before Aaron had parked properly.
This time he stayed close.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
Milo nodded.
Then a ball rolled toward them.
One of the older boys called, “Kick it back!”
Milo looked at the ball.
Then stepped away from it.
Aaron noticed.
“You didn't want to kick it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“What if it hits a car?”
The field was fifty yards from the parking lot.
Aaron's heart sank.
“Milo.”
“It could.”
“Technically.”
“So I'll just not.”
The coach blew the whistle.
Milo ran off.
Aaron watched him go.
A broken window had become a rule in the boy's head.
Don't touch.
Don't risk.
Don't make mistakes near expensive things.
Don't give powerful people a reason.
That evening, Claire returned from Seattle.
She hugged Milo so tightly he complained.
“Mom.”
“I know. Let me.”
She kissed the top of his head.
Then looked at Aaron.
“Kitchen.”
Milo rolled his eyes.
“I’m eight, not deaf.”
Claire pointed upstairs.
“Homework.”
When he disappeared, she turned.
“I want to see the footage.”
“No.”
“Aaron.”
“You don't need to watch it.”
“He hit our son.”
“I know. I watched it happen.”
Claire's eyes filled with anger.
“And you didn't hit him?”
“No.”
“I don't know whether to be proud or furious.”
“Both is probably fair.”
She paced once.
“What are we doing?”
“Rebecca is handling the legal side. The restaurant preserved video.”
“Police?”
“We can file.”
“Can?”
“Milo wasn't injured. We need to decide whether putting him through interviews and a process helps him or helps us feel like we're doing something.”
Claire stopped.
That was why she had married Aaron.
Not because he was always right.
But because he could hold anger without letting it choose for him.
“What does Milo want?”
“He wants it to stop being a big thing.”
Claire looked upstairs.
“And Chase?”
“His company was already under diligence.”
“That's convenient.”
“Actually, it's a nightmare.”
“Why?”
“Because if I walk away now, he'll say it's retaliation.”
Claire smiled without humor.
“If you stay, he'll say the investigation is retaliation.”
“Exactly.”
“So?”
“I remove myself from the final decision.”
Claire looked at him.
“You already decided that?”
“Yes.”
“You're not voting?”
“No.”
That surprised her.
“Aaron, he hit Milo.”
“Which is precisely why I shouldn't control whether eighty-five million dollars of other people's money goes into his company.”
Claire stared.
Then she exhaled.
“I hate when your principles are inconvenient.”
“So do I.”
His phone rang.
Rebecca.
Aaron answered.
“What happened?”
“Chase's lawyer wants to settle the personal matter.”
“How?”
“Confidential payment to Milo's trust.”
“How much?”
Rebecca told him.
Claire's eyebrows rose.
Aaron showed no reaction.
“And what do they want?”
“Mutual confidentiality. No admission of wrongdoing.”
Aaron looked toward the stairs.
“No.”
Rebecca expected it.
“I thought so.”
“Tell them Milo isn't for sale.”
“Aaron—”
“I mean the silence. Not damages if appropriate.”
“Understood.”
Rebecca paused.
“There is one more thing.”
“What?”
“Chase wants to apologize directly.”
Aaron looked at Claire.
“Does he?”
“Yes.”
“Why now?”
“I asked.”
“And?”
Rebecca's voice turned dry.
“He wants the investment review to go away.”
Aaron almost laughed.
May you like
For the first time, the real problem became perfectly clear.
Chase still didn't understand that some things could not be purchased back once broken.
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