Revaluations.
Projected profits.
Her eyes widened.
The numbers were enormous.
They weren't simply buying land.
They were deliberately depressing its value.
Then another file.
A list of residents.
Names.
Ages.
Property values.
Medical conditions.
Employment status.
Naomi froze.
“Why do they have this?”
Samuel looked over her shoulder.
“They were assessing who would be easiest to pressure.”
Naomi's face hardened.
Another file contained emails.
One caught her attention.
From Marcus Vale.
Subject: Relocation Strategy
The message was short.
Target owners with financial stress first. Older residents should be approached through family members. Avoid public confrontation. Use valuation discrepancies to encourage early settlement.
Naomi stared.
Her hands began to shake.
Then she saw another email.
From Victor.
Once the shoreline package is approved, no one will remember how the land was acquired.
Naomi closed her eyes.
This wasn't a development project.
It was a machine.
A machine designed to make people disappear quietly.
Her phone rang.
Henry Lin.
She answered.
“Hello?”
“Are you alone?”
“My father is here.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
Henry paused.
“Because you need to know something.”
“What?”
“The investment isn't the real reason Victor is desperate.”
Naomi frowned.
“What is?”
“The land.”
“How is that different?”
“Because Victor isn't building the waterfront for the profit.”
Naomi stared at the screen.
“Then why?”
Henry's voice became quiet.
“Because someone else is waiting to buy the entire project.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Then how do you know?”
“Because I saw the private agreement.”
Naomi stood.
“What agreement?”
Henry hesitated.
“A purchase option worth two billion dollars.”
Naomi's eyes widened.
“Two billion?”
“Yes.”
“Who is the buyer?”
“I don't know.”
“Henry.”
“I have a name.”
“What name?”
He whispered:
“Meridian.”
The call ended.
Naomi stared at her father.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“I think we're in trouble.”
Samuel looked at the laptop.
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I think we finally know where the trouble begins.”
The Eight Hundred Million Dollar Dinner
The next evening, Naomi returned to the restaurant.
Not in her uniform.
She wore a dark blue suit.
Her hair was pulled back.
Her mother's gold watch rested against her wrist.
Daniel saw her enter and nearly dropped a stack of menus.
“You're here.”
“I have an invitation.”
“From whom?”
“Henry Lin.”
Daniel looked toward the private dining room.
“Of course.”
Naomi walked in.
Victor Hale was already there.
His expression changed the instant he saw her.
“What is she doing here?”
Henry stood.
“She is with us.”
Victor laughed.
“She works here.”
“Not tonight.”
“She has no business being part of this meeting.”
Henry gestured toward an empty chair.
“Sit down, Naomi.”
She did.
There were seven people in the room.
Victor.
Marcus Vale.
Henry.
David.
Michael.
A Japanese infrastructure investor named Kenji Sato.
And Naomi.
Marcus studied her.
“You've been busy.”
Naomi looked at him.
“So have you.”
Victor sat down.
“This is absurd.”
Henry opened a folder.
“No.”
He placed the first document on the table.
“This is accountability.”
Victor glanced at it.
“What is this?”
“The environmental assessment.”
“You've already reviewed it.”
“We reviewed the version you gave us.”
Henry placed another document beside it.
“This is the original.”
Victor went still.
Naomi watched Marcus.
His face had changed.
Henry continued.
“The two documents are not the same.”
Victor looked at Marcus.
Marcus said:
“Administrative revision.”
Naomi spoke.
“The changes aren't administrative.”
Marcus looked at her.
“How would you know?”
“Because the dates don't match.”
She pointed.
“The laboratory analysis was completed on March 4.”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”
“But the revised report was supposedly issued on February 27.”
Silence.
Naomi looked at Henry.
“You can't revise a report using data collected after the revision date.”
Henry nodded.
Kenji Sato leaned forward.
“So the report was altered.”
Victor immediately said:
“No.”
Naomi looked at him.
“Then explain the dates.”
Victor didn't answer.
Marcus stepped in.
“This is a technical matter.”
Naomi smiled.
“Technical matters still have dates.”
Henry opened another file.
“This is the property valuation model.”
Victor's expression tightened.
“The model was prepared by independent consultants.”
Naomi shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“The consultant copied a model used by another company.”
Marcus asked:
“Which company?”
“Your company.”
She opened a document.
“The formula is identical.”
Marcus stared at the screen.
Naomi pointed to a line.
“Even the typo is identical.”
Silence.
Victor leaned back.
“This is ridiculous.”
Henry looked at him.
“Is it?”
He opened a bank statement.
“Then explain these transfers.”
Victor didn't move.
Henry read the names.
Three shell companies.
Four property firms.
Two offshore accounts.
And one investment fund.
Meridian.
Naomi's pulse quickened.
“That's the name you told me,” she said.
Henry nodded.
Victor's face changed.
Naomi noticed.
“You know what Meridian is.”
Victor looked at her.
“I know many things.”
“Then tell us.”
Victor smiled.
“No.”
Henry closed the folder.
“Then perhaps the authorities will.”
Victor stood.
“You're threatening me.”
“No.”
Henry looked at him.
“I'm informing you.”
Victor's voice became cold.
“You have no idea what happens when you attack a man like me.”
Henry replied:
“I know exactly what happens.”
He looked at Naomi.
“People stop believing him.”
Victor laughed.
“You think this waitress can destroy me?”
Naomi said nothing.
Henry answered.
“No.”
He closed the folder.
“You are destroying yourself.”
Victor suddenly turned toward Naomi.
“This is your fault.”
Naomi remained calm.
“No.”
“You should have taken the money.”
“I didn't want it.”
“You have no idea what you're doing.”