The elevator opened to the hospital lobby, and I walked straight out to Fifth Avenue.
Thomas was waiting at the curb. He opened the car door for me. I slid into the back seat, and the heavy door clicked shut, cutting off the city noise.
"Lane Enterprises, Miss Lane?" Thomas asked.
"Lane Enterprises," I said.
I pulled out my lap desk and set a thick leather folder across my knees.
Inside were the paper statements for the supplementary black cards issued under Clark’s name. I had printed them two days ago. Every single line item had a neat red line through it.
Four thousand two hundred dollars at Brioni.
One thousand eight hundred dollars for dinner at Per Se.
Three thousand a month for a Porsche lease.
Six thousand five hundred dollars for courtside Knicks tickets.
And twelve thousand dollars at Cartier for a diamond charm bracelet I had never seen.
I took the Mount Sinai billing records I had just downloaded and slipped them into the front sleeve. Eighty-six thousand dollars of corporate medical coverage for Mallory Fisher.
I reached down and aligned my red pen with the top edge of the folder. Perfectly straight.
Then I unlocked my phone and called Robert Kane, our general counsel.
He picked up on the second ring. "Saylor."
"Robert," I said. My voice was calm and steady. "I need an emergency board meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. Ten o'clock."
There was a brief pause on the line. Robert knew the family. He knew the company.
"What is the agenda?" he asked.
"Immediate termination of the Vice President," I said. "For cause."
***
Over the next forty-eight hours, I took Clark apart piece by piece.
First came the credit cards. With three clicks on my screen, I cancelled both supplementary black cards linked to my personal account.
Then came the corporate perks. I revoked his car allowance. I cancelled his country club membership. I froze his executive expense account.
At ten o'clock the next morning, I walked into the Lane Enterprises boardroom on the fiftieth floor.
The directors sat around the dark walnut table. My father, Lawrence Lane, sat at the head. His face was stone. He looked at me as I took my seat, but he didn't say a word.
I didn't give a speech. I didn't raise my voice. I handed each board member an identical bound dossier.
"Clark Stevens has committed gross misconduct," I stated, looking around the room. "He has diverted eighty-six thousand dollars in corporate medical coverage to an unauthorized non-employee. He has charged over a quarter of a million dollars in personal luxury goods to Lane accounts over the past eighteen months."
I paused, letting the silence settle.
"Furthermore," I continued, "his public abandonment of his duties and his behavior at The Plaza Hotel have created severe reputational liability for this firm. He is a risk to shareholder value."
The directors flipped through the pages. The red ink showed every dime.
"I move to terminate Clark Stevens immediately," I said. "For cause. No severance. No benefits."
My father didn't hesitate. He raised his right hand. "Seconded."
The rest of the board followed. All eight hands went up. Unanimous.
At two-fifteen that afternoon, while Clark was still sitting by Mallory’s bed in Room 812, IT deactivated his keycard, wiped his remote access, and locked his company email.
***
The next morning was bright and cold.
At nine sharp, Clark strolled through the glass revolving doors of the Lane Enterprises tower.
He wore the charcoal Italian wool suit I bought him for his birthday. His shoes were shined. His hair was neat. He carried a slim leather briefcase in his left hand, looking every bit like the young executive on the rise.
He walked up to the express turnstiles leading to the executive elevators.
He pulled out his keycard and tapped it against the sensor.
*Beep.*
A dull red light flashed. The glass barrier stayed shut.
Clark frowned. He tapped it again. Firmer this time.
*Beep.* Red light.
He stepped back and looked at the plastic card, confused.
The head of lobby security, a tall man named Frank, walked over with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Good morning, Mr. Stevens," Frank said politely.
"Hey, Frank," Clark said, letting out a small, amused laugh. "The scanner is glitching again. Must be the rain yesterday. Let me through, will you?"
Frank didn't touch the gate.
"I'm sorry, sir," Frank said evenly. "Your badge has been deactivated. Your employment with Lane Enterprises was terminated effective yesterday afternoon."
Clark stared at him for a second. Then he threw his head back and laughed out loud.
"Terminated?" Clark smiled, shaking his head. "Frank, do you know who I am? I'm the Vice President. Saylor’s just having a little moment. It's a personal misunderstanding. Call up to the fiftieth floor and put me through to Lawrence."
Frank’s face didn't move. "Mr. Lane’s office gave strict instructions. You are not permitted past the lobby. He will not take your call."
Clark’s smile stiffened slightly, but he didn't lose his cool. He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialled my father’s direct line, and held it to his ear.
One ring. Two rings.
Straight to voicemail.
Clark lowered the phone. He looked at the turnstile, then at the guards standing near the elevators.
He wasn't panicked. He was amused. To him, this was just a childish tantrum. A rich girl slamming her bedroom door because she didn't get her way.
"Fine," Clark said softly. He smoothed the lapels of his three-thousand-dollar suit. "Tell Saylor she made her point. I'll give her a few days to cool off. She'll call me by Friday."
He tucked his phone into his pocket, turned on his heel, and walked out of the building.
He was still smiling when he hit the street.
