His new instinct told him he had already crossed the point of no return.
He looked back at Cassandra.
"Months."
"How many?"
Daniel swallowed.
"Almost a year."
Preston shook his head.
"Daniel, be careful."
Cassandra looked at him.
"Do not speak to him."
Preston went silent.
Cassandra returned her attention to Daniel.
"Tell me."
Daniel took a breath.
"He threatened to fire me if I reported unpaid overtime."
Marcy stepped forward.
"He changed my time entries."
Preston's face hardened.
"That's a lie."
Marcy flinched.
Cassandra turned toward Preston.
"You've had enough opportunities to speak."
Then she looked at Marcy.
"Continue."
Marcy's eyes filled with tears.
"He told us that anyone who complained would never work in this industry again."
Another employee stepped forward.
"He called me incompetent in front of a client."
Another.
"He made us work through lunch."
Another.
"He told me my family problems weren't his concern."
Another.
"He said people like us should be grateful to have jobs."
Another.
"He blocked maintenance requests."
Another.
"He told me if I went to HR, he'd make sure my career ended."
The room became increasingly crowded.
Employees came out of offices.
Some had tears in their eyes.
Others were angry.
Others simply looked exhausted.
Cassandra listened.
She didn't interrupt.
She didn't defend Meridian.
She didn't defend herself.
Because leadership wasn't always about speaking.
Sometimes it was about finally making room for people who had been silenced.
After nearly twenty minutes, Cassandra looked toward Evelyn.
Evelyn nodded.
She opened the folder.
"Preston Vale," she said, "effective immediately, your employment with Meridian Freight International is terminated for cause."
Preston stared at her.
"What?"
"Your severance is denied under the executive misconduct clause."
He looked at Cassandra.
"You can't do this."
Cassandra didn't respond.
Evelyn continued.
"Your corporate access has been revoked. Your company accounts have been frozen pending investigation. Your communications will be preserved. All evidence concerning today's incident will be referred to law enforcement."
Preston shook his head.
"No."
Evelyn continued.
"The company is also opening an independent investigation into allegations of labor violations, retaliation, falsification of payroll records, and abuse of authority."
Preston's voice became louder.
"I built this division!"
Cassandra finally answered.
"You poisoned it."
The sentence landed harder than shouting would have.
Preston looked around.
Nobody came to his defense.
Not one person.
He turned toward Nolan.
"You tell them."
Nolan looked terrified.
"Tell them what?"
"That you were following orders."
Nolan's face collapsed.
"I was following orders."
Cassandra looked at him.
"That excuse has protected cowards for too long."
Evelyn closed the folder.
"Nolan Price, you are also terminated for cause."
Nolan shook his head.
"No. Please."
Cassandra remained silent.
The badge readers beeped.
Preston reached for his access card.
He swiped.
A red light appeared.
ACCESS DENIED.
He swiped again.
ACCESS DENIED.
Again.
Denied.
He stared at the card.
For years, that little piece of plastic had opened doors.
Private offices.
Executive conference rooms.
Restricted floors.
Now it opened nothing.
Preston looked toward the employees.
Nobody lowered their eyes.
Nobody moved away.
For the first time since he had entered the building, Preston Vale was not the most powerful person in the room.
In fact, he had almost no power left.
He suddenly lunged toward Cassandra.
Security reacted immediately.
Two officers caught him by the arms.
"Let me go!"
He struggled.
"You'll regret this!"
Nobody answered.
"I know people on the board!"
Nothing.
"I'll sue this company!"
Nothing.
"You don't know what you're doing!"
Still nothing.
The security officers restrained him.
Nolan attempted to move toward the stairwell.
A security officer blocked him.
"Walk."
The two men were escorted across the thirty-eighth floor.
It was the same floor where Preston had spent years humiliating others.
The same marble corridor.
The same glass walls.
The same desks.
The same people.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Nobody was afraid anymore.
That was what frightened Preston most.
At the elevator, he twisted around.
"You ruined me!"
Cassandra stood several yards away.
"No, Preston."
She looked directly at him.
"I documented you."
The elevator doors closed.
Silence followed.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Marcy started crying.
It wasn't the quiet crying she had done behind the printer.
It wasn't the kind of crying people hide because they're afraid someone might call them weak.
This was different.
It was the body's reaction to danger finally leaving.
Daniel put a hand on her shoulder.
Then he hesitated and pulled it away.
Cassandra noticed.
"Why did you stop?"
Daniel looked embarrassed.
"I don't know."
"You were trying to comfort her."
"Yes."
"Then don't be afraid to."
Daniel nodded.
He put his hand back on Marcy's shoulder.
She leaned into it.
Cassandra turned toward the entire floor.
"The North Division is closed for the rest of the day."
Everyone looked at her.
"Everyone will be paid for the day."
A few employees exchanged surprised glances.
"HR will remain here for private statements."
She paused.
"If your hours were altered, we will correct your pay."
Marcy wiped her face.
"If you were threatened, we will investigate."
Daniel looked up.
"And if you stayed silent because you were scared..."
Cassandra's voice softened.
"...you are not in trouble."
That sentence broke the last wall.
People began crying.