Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 413

Following the issuance of the formal inquiry by the Thorne Trust Compliance Office, no one in the Langford Medical project department dared to speak above a whisper all morning.

The glass doors of the conference room were firmly shut. Inside sat the Langford legal team, the service division, the PR team, the risk management division, and two compliance specialists sent by Thorne Medical Systems. Jude Sinclair sat on one side of the long table, the complete service logs for Logan Lester's family spread open in front of him.

Willow sat on the opposite side.

She hadn't applied heavy makeup today. Her complexion carried a trace of exhaustion, making her look as though she was being crushed under the relentless pressure of the project. But Jude knew her far too well; the weaker she appeared, the more certain it was that she had laid a trap.

The lead Thorne compliance specialist, Specialist Jameson, was in her early thirties. Her tone wasn't loud, but her questioning was meticulously sharp.

"The baseline authorization form for Logan Lester's family contains no clauses granting permission for promotional material usage. Why, then, was there a discussion regarding 'gala promotional materials' in your internal group chats?"

The head of the PR team broke out in a cold sweat.

"That was just a casual comment made internally. We hadn't executed anything."

Specialist Jameson didn't look up, merely jotting down a note in her ledger.

"A casual comment still indicates an intent to misappropriate data. Who proposed utilizing Logan Lester's family as a case study for the gala?"

The conference room plunged into a suffocating silence.

The PR director shot a desperate glance at Willow.

Willow lowered her eyelashes, lightly tapping her pen against the table, acting completely oblivious to the panicked stare.

Left with no other option, the director braced himself and answered, "The PR team handled the preliminary case screening internally."

Specialist Jameson pressed on. "Did Ms. Willow Whitaker participate in this screening process?"

Willow looked up.

"I participated in directional discussions," she replied softly, "but the specific material execution was handled entirely by the PR team."

*Directional discussions.*

Willow remained silent for a second.

She looked up at Jude.

Her gaze carried a hint of grievance, laced with a subtle plea for help. It was as if she was still hoping he would throw himself in front of the firing squad for her.

Jude didn't move a muscle.

Willow slowly withdrew her gaze.

"I did suggest we handle the de-escalation internally first," her voice dropping to a somber register. "Because the charity gala was rapidly approaching, and I was deeply concerned that the family's private information might be weaponized externally, causing secondary trauma to the child."

She paused, her eyes growing slightly red.

"As it turns out, my concerns were completely validated. The anonymous email was leaked directly to the Stellaris team inbox, meaning Logan Lester's highly sensitive personal data was intercepted and distributed. Regardless of who sent that email, it exposed the child to entirely new, unprecedented risks."

The atmosphere in the conference room shifted instantly.