The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Ethan's POV

Margaret flinched slightly but held her ground. "I don't know, sir. I wasn't informed either. But half the board is already in there, and…"

I didn't wait to hear the rest.

I turned and strode toward the conference room, fury propelling me forward, every nerve in my body screaming that this was wrong, that something was very, very wrong.

I shoved the conference room door open hard enough that it slammed against the wall.

Every head in the room turned toward me.

"Mr. Walker, I apologize."

One of the board member, Thompson, one of the oldest and most conservative members, stood from his seat at the head of the table, his expression carefully neutral but his discomfort obvious.

"It took us a long while to reach you," he continued, adjusting his tie nervously. "We tried your office line, your cell. When we couldn't get through, we felt we had no choice but to convene and discuss the... situation."

Situation.

The word hung in the air like a bad smell.

I stood there in the doorway, my jaw clenched so tightly I could feel my teeth grinding, fury radiating through every muscle in my body.

"You felt you had no choice," I repeated slowly, my voice dangerously calm, "but to hold a board meeting about my company without informing me?"

Thompson shifted uncomfortably. "Mr. Walker, with all due respect, given the circumstances… the scandal, the media attention, the questions from investors…"

"I don't give a damn about the circumstances," I snapped, my control finally cracking. "I am the CEO of this company. I built this company. And you don't make a single decision without me in the room. Is that clear?"

Several board members looked down at their papers.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "Talk."

Thompson cleared his throat. "We've been conducting an internal audit. After the... allegations online, we thought it prudent to review our financials."

"And?" I prompted, already sensing where this was going.

"We found irregularities," Martinez said quietly. "Significant ones."

My stomach dropped.

"What kind of irregularities?"

"Money," Thompson said bluntly. "Large sums have been wired out of Walker Industries accounts over the past eighteen months. Illegally. Without proper authorization or documentation."

The room seemed to tilt slightly.

"How much?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Approximately forty-seven million dollars," Martinez said.

The number hit me like a physical blow.

"That's impossible," I said immediately. "Every transaction over a certain threshold requires dual approval. My signature and…"

I stopped.

My signature.

And Anna's.

Anna, who'd been given access to the accounts when she'd joined the executive team. Anna, who I'd trusted because she'd seemed competent and dedicated and…

"We need to involve the police," I said immediately, my voice shaking with barely controlled rage. "Now."

"Already done, I took the liberty of contacting them before you arrived."

…

The police arrived within thirty minutes.

I showed them everything — the financial records, the shell companies, the evidence of fraud and embezzlement.

"We'll need to bring in everyone who had access to these accounts," the lead detective, a sharp-eyed woman named Morrison said. "Starting with Anna Walker."

"She tried to kill herself this morning," I said flatly. "I found her. She's... unstable."

Morrison's expression didn't change. "Then we'll need to speak with her immediately. Before she tries again or disappears."

I nodded. "I'll take you to her apartment."

The drive back to Anna's building felt surreal.

Morrison and her partner followed in their unmarked car while I led the way, my mind spinning with everything that had just happened.

Forty-seven million dollars.

Gone.

Stolen from the company I'd built from nothing.

By Anna, whom I'd trusted.

The thought made me sick.