Ambrose Ward sat behind his new mahogany desk, the weight of the office settling around him like a tailored shroud. He watched Violet Ross carefully. She was a vision of professional poise—her white silk blouse crisp, her posture impeccable—but there was a frantic energy in her eyes that didn't match her composed exterior.
"I spent three years in the Financial Oversight Division of the Provincial Assets Authority," Violet continued, her voice gaining a sharp, rhythmic edge. "I wasn't just a junior clerk pushing paper, Ambrose. I was on the front lines when the Lakeport Properties Ltd. accounts were first flagged for 'review.' I’ve seen their ledgers—the real ones, not the window dressing they show the Bureau of Census & Statistics. I know how Chester Preston moved the public money into hi
