The first carried Margaret Hayes, CEO of Anderson Holdings.
The second carried Daniel Price, Chief Financial Officer.
The third brought Karen Whitmore, Chief Legal Officer.
Then came Michael Grant, Chief Operating Officer.
Sophia Bennett, Executive Vice President of Human Resources.
And finally, Richard Coleman, the oldest member of Benjamin’s executive leadership team.
One by one, they entered through the private entrance.
The security guards immediately straightened.
Vernon Brooks looked at the group in surprise.
Executives did not normally arrive together at this hour.
Especially not on the night of a charity gala.
Margaret approached the desk.
“Good evening.”
Vernon nodded.
“Good evening, Ms. Hayes.”
She looked toward the elevators.
“Is Benjamin Anderson in the building?”
Vernon froze.
The other executives stopped.
For the first time since Benjamin had begun working at Pinnacle Tower, Vernon realized something was happening.
Something enormous.
“Yes,” he said slowly.
Margaret looked at him.
“Where?”
Vernon glanced toward the hallway.
“He was downstairs earlier.”
“Earlier?”
“He came down from the gala.”
Michael Grant frowned.
“Why?”
Vernon hesitated.
Margaret noticed.
“What happened?”
Vernon looked at the six executives.
Then at the elevator.
Then back at them.
“He had food all over his uniform.”
No one moved.
Daniel Price slowly turned toward Margaret.
Karen Whitmore’s expression became unreadable.
Sophia Bennett took one step forward.
“Food?”
Vernon nodded.
“He wouldn’t tell me what happened.”
Richard Coleman spoke for the first time.
His voice was low.
“But you think someone did something to him.”
Vernon looked at the older man.
“I know Benjamin.”
The executives exchanged glances.
Vernon continued.
“He said everything was fine.”
Michael closed his eyes.
Margaret exhaled slowly.
Then she looked at the group.
“Find him.”
Within seconds, the six executives split up.
Security cameras were checked.
Maintenance staff were contacted.
The cleaning team was questioned.
No one understood why six of the most powerful people in the company were searching for an elderly janitor.
Then, finally, the call came.
“He’s on the CEO floor.”
Vernon heard the words through the radio.
He stared toward the private elevator.
A strange feeling moved through his chest.
Benjamin.
The janitor.
Was on the CEO floor.
And six executives were going to meet him there.
Upstairs, the charity gala continued.
Craig Holloway stepped onto the stage.
The host had just introduced him.
“Please welcome the man responsible for making tonight possible.”
Applause filled the ballroom.
Craig smiled.
He adjusted his tuxedo.
Then he walked toward the microphone.
“Thank you,” he began.
Tiffany stood near the front table, clapping enthusiastically.
Craig looked across the room.
“This evening is about one thing.”
He paused dramatically.
“Respecting the dignity and potential of every human being.”
The audience applauded.
Craig smiled.
And at that exact moment, the ballroom doors opened.
A young assistant hurried toward him.
Craig frowned.
He covered the microphone.
“What?”
The assistant whispered something into his ear.
Craig’s face changed.
“What did you say?”
The assistant repeated herself.
Tiffany stopped clapping.
Craig looked toward the entrance.
Six executives had arrived.
And they were asking for him.
Craig Holloway stood frozen behind the microphone.
For several seconds, he could not understand what the young assistant had just told him.
“Six executives?”
The assistant nodded nervously.
“Yes, sir.”
Craig lowered his voice.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
The audience was still waiting.
Hundreds of wealthy donors sat beneath the chandeliers, unaware that something was wrong. They had no idea that the head of operations, the man standing proudly on stage, had suddenly lost his confidence.
Craig forced a smile.
He turned back toward the microphone.
“Excuse me for just one moment.”
A few people laughed politely.
Craig stepped away from the stage.
The assistant followed.
“Where are they?”
“In the executive conference room.”
Craig frowned.
“Why?”
“They didn’t say.”
“Who called them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why are they asking for me?”
The assistant looked terrified.
“They just said it was urgent.”
Craig stared at her.
His mind raced through every possible explanation.
Had there been a financial problem?
A problem with the charity gala?
Had one of the donors complained?
Maybe Margaret Hayes wanted to congratulate him personally.
That possibility made him relax slightly.
After all, the event had gone well.
The ballroom was full.
Donations were exceeding expectations.
The food had been perfect.
The decorations had been flawless.
Craig looked at Tiffany.
“Finish my speech.”
Her eyes widened.
“What?”
“Just thank everyone. Tell them we’ll continue in a few minutes.”
“Craig, what is going on?”
“I don’t know.”
For the first time that evening, his voice lacked confidence.
Tiffany watched him walk toward the exit.
As soon as he disappeared behind the ballroom doors, she looked toward the assistant.
“What did the executives want?”
The young woman shook her head.
“I honestly don’t know.”
Tiffany tried to smile.
But a strange memory suddenly entered her mind.
The elderly janitor.
The plate.
The salmon.
Benjamin Anderson standing calmly in the corridor.
Are you finished?
Tiffany looked down at her champagne glass.
Then she quickly pushed the thought away.
“No,” she whispered to herself.
“It can’t be about that.”
But somewhere deep inside, she was beginning to feel afraid.
Craig entered the private elevator alone.
The doors closed.
For the first time in years, he found himself wishing they would open faster.
Instead, the elevator seemed painfully slow.
Floor thirty-five.
Thirty-six.
Thirty-seven.
Thirty-eight.
Craig stared at his reflection in the mirrored wall.
He adjusted his tie.
Straightened his jacket.
Smoothed his hair.
Then he looked at the buttons.
The CEO floor.
He had visited it before.
Only a handful of times.
Usually for major meetings.
The floor was different from the rest of the building.
There were no crowded cubicles.
No stacks of paperwork.
No employees rushing between offices.
It was quiet.
Almost unnaturally quiet.
The kind of quiet that made visitors lower their voices without knowing why.
When the elevator finally opened, Craig stepped out.
Immediately, he knew something was wrong.
Margaret Hayes stood near the reception area.
Beside her was Daniel Price.
Karen Whitmore stood with her arms crossed.
Michael Grant was staring out the window.
Sophia Bennett was speaking quietly to Richard Coleman.
All six executives were there.
None of them smiled.
Craig cleared his throat.
“Good evening.”
No one answered.
He tried again.
“Is everything okay?”
Margaret slowly turned toward him.
“Come with us.”
Craig forced a small laugh.
“Should I be worried?”
Karen Whitmore answered.
“Yes.”
The smile disappeared from Craig’s face.
Margaret began walking toward the boardroom.
The others followed.
Craig stood alone for half a second.
Then he followed them.
The large doors closed behind him.
The boardroom was dark except for the lights above the table.
Chicago glittered beyond the windows.
Craig sat down slowly.
Margaret remained standing.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
Craig looked around.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Daniel Price opened a folder.
Craig noticed several printed pages inside.
“What is this about?”
Karen Whitmore spoke.
“We’ll ask the questions.”
Craig looked at her.
The legal officer had never liked him.
He knew that.
Karen was cold.
Precise.
Impossible to intimidate.
Craig leaned back in his chair.
“Fine.”
Sophia Bennett placed both hands on the table.
“Did you have an interaction with a member of the cleaning staff tonight?”
Craig immediately felt his stomach tighten.
But he kept his face calm.
“A member of the cleaning staff?”
“Yes.”
“There are hundreds of employees in the building.”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed.
“This evening.”
Craig shrugged.
“Possibly.”
Daniel Price looked down at the papers.
“An elderly janitor.”
Craig said nothing.
“A gray uniform.”
Still nothing.
“Name: Benjamin Anderson.”
Craig slowly leaned forward.
“What about him?”
Margaret studied his face.
“What happened?”
Craig laughed.
The sound was forced.
“You called six executives up here because of a janitor?”
Nobody laughed with him.
That was when Craig truly became nervous.
Karen sat down across from him.
“Answer the question.”
Craig looked from one face to another.
“I told him to leave the event floor.”
“Why?”
“He was pushing a cart through the service corridor.”
“That’s his job.”
“It was during a gala.”
“Continue.”
Craig hesitated.
“He had trash.”
Michael Grant finally turned from the window.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “That’s also his job.”
Craig looked at him.
Michael’s expression was impossible to read.
Craig swallowed.
“I may have spoken harshly.”
Sophia stared at him.
“Harshly?”
Craig looked away.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
Karen opened the folder.
“Did you throw food at him?”
The room became silent.
Craig’s eyes widened slightly.
“Who told you that?”
“Did you?”
Craig leaned back.
“It was an accident.”
Daniel looked up.
“An accident?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly happened accidentally?”
Craig tried to think quickly.
“There was a plate. I put it on his cart.”
Karen did not blink.
“And the food?”
“It spilled.”
“Onto him?”
“I suppose.”
Sophia’s face hardened.
“You suppose?”
Craig became defensive.
“Oh, come on. You’re acting like I attacked him.”
No one answered.
Craig continued.
“He’s a janitor. There was a trash cart. I put the plate where it belonged.”
The words had barely left his mouth when Daniel Price slowly closed the folder.
The sound echoed through the boardroom.
Craig looked at him.
Daniel’s voice was quiet.
“And where exactly does a person belong, Mr. Holloway?”
Craig stared at him.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
Margaret finally spoke.
“Then how did you mean it?”
Craig said nothing.
Margaret walked slowly around the table.
“You work for a company that has spent decades promoting dignity in the workplace.”
Craig looked away.
“You are the head of operations.”
Silence.
“You supervise hundreds of employees.”
Craig’s jaw tightened.
“And tonight, during an event celebrating equality and opportunity, you humiliated one of the oldest employees in this building.”
Craig looked up.
“That’s not what happened.”
Sophia slammed her hand against the table.
“It is exactly what happened.”
Craig jumped slightly.
The room became still again.
Sophia rarely lost her temper.
Everyone in the company knew that.
But tonight, her eyes were filled with something Craig had never seen before.
Disgust.
Craig looked toward Margaret.
“I’ve been working for this company for twelve years.”
Margaret nodded.
“Yes.”
“I’ve given everything to this company.”
“Yes.”
“I built the operations department.”
“No,” Margaret said.
Craig stopped.
Margaret walked closer.
“You were hired to manage it.”
Craig stared at her.
She continued.
“There is a difference.”
On the other side of the floor, Benjamin Anderson stood alone in the CEO’s private office.
The office had once belonged to him.
Thirty years earlier, Benjamin had chosen the furniture himself.
The walnut desk.
The leather chairs.
The bookshelf that stretched across the far wall.
The large window overlooking the city.
After stepping down from the position, he had allowed the office to become the space used by the company’s current leadership.
But some things had never changed.
Behind a framed photograph near the window was a small panel.
Benjamin reached behind it.
His fingers pressed a hidden switch.
A quiet click sounded.
The wall moved slightly.
A narrow compartment opened.
Inside was a small monitor.
Benjamin turned it on.
A live feed appeared.
The boardroom.
Craig Holloway sat at the table.
The six executives surrounded him.
Benjamin watched without speaking.
He had not asked them to fire Craig.
He had not even told them what to do.
He had simply asked them to investigate.
The reaction had been their own.
Staff Hurls Trash at Elderly Black Janitor at Charity Gala — Until 6 Execs Escort Him to CEO Floor
Chapter 4
And Benjamin was watching closely.