Ruined by Logan Raven

CHAPTER ONE ; THE ACCUSATION *. *. *. *. *. * This is my first book by the way. I hope you enjoy my first masterpiece. No s****l content in this chapter. Enjoy! The elevator doors opened to the top floor, and Jade stepped out into polished marble and the scent of expensive cologne. Raven Dynamics was always intimidating, but today the air felt charged—like a storm waiting to break. She clutched her files tighter. She had been summoned. Not emailed. Not politely invited. Summoned. And summonings from billionaires usually meant trouble. When she entered Logan’s office, he stood with his back to her, staring out at the skyline as he owned it—and in some ways, he did. Logan Raven had the presence of a man carved from ambition and steel. “Mr. Raven,” Jade began carefully, “you asked to see me?” She was so nervous that she bit her lips roughly. He turned. He looked sensational in that suit. He looked like a god. Jade had always had a thing for Logan. She had always thought he might have a soft spot for her. His eyes were cold. Not curious. Not irritated. Cold. “Sit,” he said. She sat, searching his face for clues. Logan placed a folder on the table between them. A thick one. Too thick. Her stomach tightened. ” Jàde Wells,” he said slowly, “you’ve been handling the financial accounts for my company for four years.” “Yes,” she answered, still unsure. “And your statements have always been clean and accurate. There’s never been—” Jade’s heart skipped instantly. Something was wrong. That explained why she was getting weird looks from the employees. “Mr. Logan, what are you trying to implore?” “Don’t.” His voice cut through hers like a blade. “Not today.” Dalla froze. Logan opened the folder. Inside were printed bank statements, transfers, and signatures—her signatures. Except… they weren’t. She flipped through the pages over and over again. It looked like her signature…. How the hell did this happen? “This,” he said, tapping a page that showed a transfer of millions, “was done through your access codes.” His sharp gaze pierced through her, trying to ascertain if she was just an incredible actress or, beneath her trembling figure, an innocent person. “That’s impossible.” Her voice shook, despite her trying to steady it. “I didn’t authorize any of these.” “Yet your login did.” “I’m being framed,” she whispered. She rubbed her hands until they were red. Logan leaned back, studying her with unreadable eyes. “Are you?” “Yes!” Jade snapped, then lowered her voice. “I’ve never mishandled a single dollar of this company Mr. Logan” Sturdy muscles ticked in Logan’s jaw. He wasn’t convinced. Or worse—he was convinced of the opposite. “Mr. Raven,” Jade tried again, “please listen to me. Someone used my code. Someone inside your company. I would never steal, and you know that.” “Do I?” he asked quietly. “You have access. You have authority. You have the skills.” “And I have integrity.” “Integrity doesn’t show on bank statements,” he replied, looking angrier at her statement. She flinched. She trembled like a deer. A feeling of confusion washed through her as she racked her brains trying to figure out who would want to frame her. Logan closed the folder and pushed it toward her, as if it were a final judgment. “Until we complete the investigation, you are suspended from all activities involving Raven Dynamics.” Suspended. The word hit her like a physical blow. “Mr. Raven ” she breathed, “this will ruin me. I could lose my license. My career.” He didn’t look away. “That is not my concern.” “Then what is?” “The truth,” he said. “Whether you’re innocent… or I’ve been financing a criminal under my own nose.” Tears threatened, but she swallowed them back. She would not break in front of him. “Please,” she whispered, “give me time to prove my innocence “ Logan stood—six feet of authority she couldn’t fight. “I can't do that, Jade. I am being pressured at the moment,” he said. “After that… whatever happens is on you.” Jade stood too, her legs barely steady. “Why are you doing this?” she asked softly. “You know me.” His eyes hardened. “I knew the version you showed me,” he said. “Now I need to know the truth.” “What if I prove my innocence?” Jade cried out. Logan clenched his jaw; he didn't want to believe he was wrong. “ Till then, Jade. For now, worry about yourself and find my money” he snarled. “ I promise you Logan Raven. I am coming for you and whoever is behind this. I am going to tear down this company you spent so much to build” she swore in tears. Logan said nothing. He had nothing to say. He just hoped she wasn't right. She left his office with the folder clutched in her hands, her reputation hanging by a thread, her career already bleeding. Behind her, Logan Raven watched the door close. He paced around the room. He watched Jade’s retreating figure. He believed her weirdly. But the setup was so neat and explicit that he had to address it immediately. People whispered and the stock price was plummeting. He had no choice. And even he didn’t know whether he was protecting his company… or destroying the only woman he had ever trusted.