Page 70 of Claimed By The Other Brother

She answers on the first ring.

"Mr. Blackwell. We have a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"A former employee from MediaLink—one of our subsidiaries—just went public with allegations. Embezzlement, fraud, misuse of company funds. It's hitting the news cycle now. The story ties back to corporate oversight, which means it's not just MediaLink's problem. It's ours."

My jaw tightens. "How bad?"

"Bad enough that the board wants an emergency meeting first thing tomorrow morning. Legal is already reviewing the allegations. Initial assessment is that it's going to require significant damage control."

I close my eyes briefly, then open them.

"I'm heading home. Send me everything you have."

"Already in your inbox."

I end the call and return to Mark. He takes one look at my face and sets down his drink.

"What happened?"

"PR crisis. Former employee making allegations that could blow back on the entire company."

"Shit." Mark stands.

"What do you need?"

"Time to figure this out." I pull out my wallet and drop cash on the table.

"I'll call you tomorrow."

"Let me know if I can help."

I nod and head for the exit.

***

My penthouse in Tribeca is dark when I arrive. I don't bother turning on more than a few lights as I head straight to my home office and open my laptop.

Emma wasn't exaggerating. The story is everywhere—financial news sites, industry blogs, even starting to trend on social media. The allegations are serious: a former MediaLink director claiming systematic financial misconduct, falsified reports, funds diverted for personal use. And because MediaLink operates under Blackwell Media Corp's umbrella, the implication is that corporate oversight failed.

I spend the next three hours reading through legal briefs, internal audits, and media coverage. By the time I close my laptop, it's past midnight, and I have a clear picture of the mess we're facing. This isn't just a PR problem. It's a credibility problem. Investors will panic. Clients will question our integrity. Competitorswill use this as ammunition. We need to get ahead of it. Fast.

The conference room is full when I arrive at eight the next morning. The entire executive team, plus our general counsel and head of communications.

"Let's get started," I say, taking my seat at the head of the table.

Our general counsel, Richard Miller, opens his briefcase and pulls out a stack of documents.

"We've completed our initial review of the allegations. Some have merit. Others appear to be exaggerated or outright false. But the truth doesn't matter as much as perception right now."

"What's our exposure?" I ask.

"Financially? Manageable. Reputationally? Significant." Richard slides a report across the table. "We need a comprehensive response strategy. Legal defense, internal investigation, and aggressive public relations."

Our head of communications, Lisa Winters, clears her throat.

"I made a call to our in-house PR team. But this seems like something that might need to be handled not in-house. We might need to outsource to a firm that specializes in crisis management."