Chapter 7 - Camilla’s Archive
The flash drive was not handed to me.
It went to Camilla’s lawyer, then Aurelia special committee through production agreement.
I received only summaries where shareholder oversight required.
Good.
I did not need intimate details.
Nathan still looked uncomfortable when briefing.
“There are personal messages irrelevant to company. We segregated.”
“Thank you.”
Then relevant.
Julian and Camilla discussing Meridian.
Julian:
If Malcolm asks, it was your vendor recommendation, not mine.
Camilla:
You approved rates.
Julian:
Because you said they were defensible.
Camilla:
They are if nobody asks who Adrian is.
Then:
Julian:
Once I’m president, finance stops nitpicking.
There.
Camilla:
And I get SVP.
Julian:
Obviously.
They had built mutual career plan.
Then Olivia.
Camilla:
She won’t drop Meridian.
Julian:
Put something in her file.
Camilla:
For what?
Julian:
Collaboration. Attitude. Whatever HR likes.
That was retaliation.
Then promotion fantasy.
Camilla:
Malcolm said president?
Julian:
Not exactly.
Camilla:
Then why are you telling everyone?
Julian:
Because if room expects it, board looks stupid choosing someone else.
I stared.
He was manufacturing inevitability.
Same strategy as vendor approvals.
If enough people believed decision made, objections became awkward.
Then Northstar.
Three weeks before gala:
Camilla:
Do you know who owns Northstar?
Julian:
Private family office guys.
Camilla:
What if buyer replaces you?
Julian:
Malcolm needs me.
Camilla:
Audrey’s family office ever invest tech?
Julian:
Please. Audrey does estate planning lunches.
I laughed despite everything.
Estate planning lunches.
Then:
Camilla:
She goes to Boston constantly.
Julian:
To talk about her mother’s money.
He had been inches from truth.
He simply chose contempt.
Then one message from Camilla:
Sometimes I think you don’t know your wife.
Julian:
I know exactly what she is.
Camilla:
What?
Julian:
Comfortable.
Safe.
Not ambitious.
That one hurt.
Not because he called me safe.
Because he had needed me to be small enough not to threaten his identity.
Then another:
Camilla:
Why marry her?
Julian:
She made life easy.
The line sat.
I closed report.
Nathan said:
“We can stop.”
“I’m fine.”
I was not.
But corporate relevance ended.
Then Camilla’s cooperation.
Why?
Her attorney sought settlement with Aurelia.
She admitted undisclosed financial interest.
Agreed repay $186,000 profit participation plus value of certain benefits, subject final calculations.
Agreed not contest termination.
Agreed cooperate with authorities.
In exchange company would settle civil claims beyond restitution for defined amount and not seek punitive claims? The company cannot promise prosecution. Good.
Her criminal exposure remained.
Then she returned earrings and one necklace? No need.
She gave evidence about Julian’s pass through.
Patrick Lane.
The $60,000.
Julian had texted:
Have Pat invoice Adrian for “strategy.” Once it clears he sends me sixty.
Camilla:
That’s stupid.
Julian:
It’s cleaner than check from Meridian.
Direct.
Criminal.
Then:
Camilla:
Why do you need it?
Julian:
Penthouse assessment and Audrey watches every joint account.
Interesting.
Our joint finances were transparent.
His separate account not.
He wanted money I would not see.
Not because I controlled.
Because he wanted hide affair spending.
Then Camilla said:
“Julian also used corporate information to buy stock in a supplier through friend.”
Could be insider-like for private? Supplier public maybe. Let's not add unnecessary.
Keep fraud vendor.
Then police investigation into earrings.
Camilla stated Julian gave them and told her they were Audrey’s but she “never wears them.”
That supported wrongful taking.
Julian’s attorney offered restitution/no contest. I had earrings back.
District attorney might decline felony prosecution in favor civil due marital property complexity and return. We can say police closed without separate charge after prosecutor declined based on evidentiary/property context, while fact remained in divorce. Good. No overcriminalization.
Then assault.
Hotel footage.
Local prosecutor offered Julian deferred misdemeanor disposition if Audrey did not seek protective order? Hmm victim preference not determinant. Could say he was cited for misdemeanor assault and later entered pretrial diversion with anger management and no contact except counsel, after no prior record and minor injury. But could complicate. Maybe we can include. User's prompt physical shove should have consequence.
Julian through counsel accepted a misdemeanor deferred adjudication/diversion: no unlawful contact, counseling, community service, dismissal if completed? Jurisdiction. Fine.
But if later financial felony charges, diversion maybe moot. Could have separate. Maybe financial charges come later and bigger. Keep assault case separate.
Then I received Camilla’s personal statement as part of divorce discovery? She apologized for earrings maybe.
Audrey,
I knew Julian was married.
No excuses.
Then:
I also knew the earrings were probably yours and wore them anyway because he told me you would never confront me.
I stopped.
Then:
I thought humiliating you proved I had won something.
Then:
I did not know you owned Northstar.
That sentence almost made me laugh.
Of course.
Then:
If I had known, I would have behaved differently.
There it was.
Same as Julian.
I did not need apology conditioned on power.
I did not answer.
Then Julian filed motion in divorce seeking valuation/discovery of Northstar.
Claire said expected.
Prenup protected ownership but court needed verify marital claims.
We would produce under confidentiality.
No hiding.
May you like
Julian was about to discover exactly what he signed seven years ago.
And why my mother had insisted we sit in separate conference rooms with separate lawyers before the wedding.
