Chapter 2 - THE AUDIT IN THE DEAD OF NIGHTThe lobby of Mercer Dynamics went deathly quiet, save for the soft instrumental Christmas carols droning from the overhead speakers. David Mercer looked down at the paper in his hands, his knuckles turning white against the leather portfolio.
"How many, Emily?" David repeated, his voice sharp and precise, cutting through the silence like a scalpel. "There are twelve custodial staff members assigned to the night contract. Did any of you receive the three-thousand-dollar holiday retention bonus issued on December first?"
Emily felt her breath catch in her throat. Three thousand dollars? To her, three thousand dollars was three months of rent, a fully stocked pantry, and new winter coats for Lily. To her, three thousand dollars was survival.
"None of us, sir," Emily whispered, her voice trembling. "We were told... we were told by our contractor manager, Mr. Vance, that Mercer Dynamics cut our budget this year. He said if we asked for bonuses, we’d all be replaced by automated floor scrubbers after the holidays."
Lily tugged softly on Emily’s coat. "Mommy, is the gentleman mad at us?"
David immediately softened his posture, dropping to one knee so he was at eye level with the five-year-old girl. The formidable billionaire, known on Wall Street as an unyielding titan of tech, offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "No, sweetheart. I’m not mad at you. I’m very glad you’re here tonight." He looked up at Emily, his brown eyes burning with a sudden, dark intensity. "Your manager lied to you. Mercer Dynamics authorized seventy-two thousand dollars in holiday bonuses for the overnight facilities team. It was wired to Northstar Facility Services three weeks ago."
David stood up, pulling his phone from his coat pocket and dialing his head of internal audit.
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"Arthur," David said into the receiver, ignoring the fact that it was nearly eleven o'clock on Christmas Eve. "Get the forensic accounting team on a secure call. Unlock the Northstar vendor portal and trace wire transfer #8841. Someone inside Northstar—or inside my own procurement department—just stole Christmas from twelve families. I want every bank statement on my screen in ten minutes."
He hung up, turned back to Emily and Lily, and gestured toward the private executive elevators. "You two are coming upstairs with me. You’ve cleaned this building long enough, Emily. Tonight, you’re going to sit at the desk."
