Chapter 4 - Shadows in the BoardroomBy 7:00 PM, the tenth floor was nearly deserted. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead in a rhythmic drone, casting long, distorted shadows across the rows of empty cubicles.
I was still sitting at desk 4B, the screen glow illuminating my face as I cross-referenced the IP addresses of the computers that had accessed the Apex Freight database over the last six months.
Every single fraudulent manifest had been approved using a master override code. And that master override code belonged to only three people in the entire company:
The CEO, the Head of Security—and Claire Bennett.
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. The woman whose breakfast I had paid for, the woman who preached ruthless corporate ethics while firing Paul Danner in cold blood, was either the mastermind behind a multi-million-dollar inventory theft ring or the most dangerous target of an internal framing job.
Suddenly, the private elevator chime pinged down the hall.
Ding.
Footsteps echoed softly against the polished concrete floor. Slow, deliberate, expensive heels clicking closer to my row.
I slammed my laptop shut just as a shadow fell across my cubicle partition.
“Working late, Mr. Carter?”
Claire’s voice was smooth, devoid of warmth. She stepped into my workspace, leaning casually against the edge of the divider. She had changed out of her charcoal blazer into a dark cashmere turtleneck, her dark hair still pinned back with surgical precision.
“Trying to keep up with my new boss,” I said evenly, keeping my hands flat on the desk.
“And what have you discovered in the wasteland of Apex Freight?”
I looked straight into her dark, unreadable eyes. “I discovered that Paul Danner wasn't working alone. I discovered that someone with an executive-level master override code has been altering the shipping manifests for six months.”
Claire didn't flinch. Not a muscle in her face twitched.
“An executive level,” she repeated softly. “That narrows the suspect pool down considerably.”
“It does,” I said, standing up to face her eye-to-eye. “Which brings me to a very uncomfortable question, Ms. Bennett. Why did your card get declined at the coffee shop on Monday morning if you have executive access to accounts moving millions of dollars?”
The air in the cubicle instantly turned heavy, saturated with danger.
May you like
Claire’s eyes flashed with sudden, terrifying intensity. She stepped closer, invading my personal space until I could smell that exact same citrus perfume from the café.
“You are remarkably brave, Owen,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. “Or remarkably stupid. My corporate accounts were frozen on Monday morning by order of the board of directors because someone inside this company tried to frame me for corporate embezzlement. And if you don't hand me that flash drive in your right pocket right now, you’ll be joining Paul in federal custody by sunrise.”
