Chapter 6 - The President Who Called It ProtectionAdrian denied giving Celeste the vial.
He admitted knowing about the foundation transfer but claimed he concealed it to protect Richard from scandal.
Financial records weakened his defense.
Companies connected to Adrian had purchased debt from North Atlantic Freight at a discount. If the acquisition closed, Whitmore Maritime would repay that debt at full value.
Adrian stood to gain more than eighty million dollars.
Richard had questioned the purchase price during the final week. If he remained capable of voting, he might cancel the transaction.
Investigators traced the disposable phone to an assistant working for a security contractor Adrian controlled indirectly. The assistant admitted delivering a sealed package to Celeste but claimed he did not know what it contained.
The vial itself carried no fingerprints clear enough to identify a handler beyond Celeste.
There was no perfect piece of evidence.
There were messages, money, timing, and people following orders without asking enough questions.
Adrian’s attorneys called the case circumstantial.
Richard’s board called an emergency meeting.
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For the first time in twenty years, he did not chair it.
Independent directors suspended Adrian and placed Richard’s own voting shares under temporary review because he had approved the dangerous succession clause without proper scrutiny.
