Chapter 8
1632 Words
Adrian Vale had never liked surprises.
He preferred information before meetings, numbers before decisions, and facts before assumptions.
That was why the report sitting on his desk irritated him.
He read it again.
Madison Heights Development.
Black Empire Holdings was struggling with the project.
Their financial reports contained inconsistencies.
A confidential document had been leaked.
And now Elena Sinclair was investigating.
Adrian leaned back in his chair and looked through the glass wall of his office.
Manhattan stretched beneath him.
Vale International occupied the upper floors of one of the city's most recognizable towers, but Adrian rarely paid attention to the view anymore.
He had spent years building an empire.
He knew what success looked like.
He also knew what desperation looked like.
And the Black Empire was beginning to show signs of both.
A knock sounded.
“Come in.”
Marcus Reed entered with a tablet.
“Morning.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Is it?”
Marcus smiled.
“Depends on whether you enjoy ruining other people's mornings.”
Adrian ignored the comment.
“What did you find?”
Marcus placed the tablet on the desk.
“The Madison Heights investor is still considering our proposal.”
“Still?”
“Yes. But there's a problem.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“Elena Sinclair.”
He looked up.
Marcus continued.
“She requested access to the full financial records yesterday.”
Adrian's expression remained neutral.
“She found the inconsistencies.”
“She did.”
“Anything else?”
“She also discovered that someone forged her signature on an internal document.”
Adrian's attention sharpened.
“Who?”
“That's the problem. We don't know.”
Adrian stood.
“Show me.”
Marcus opened the report.
“The document was uploaded through Victor Sinclair's terminal.”
Adrian studied the information.
“Victor?”
“That's what the records indicate.”
“Do you believe he did it?”
Marcus shook his head.
“Not necessarily.”
“Why?”
“Because it's too obvious.”
Adrian looked at him.
Marcus shrugged.
“If Victor wanted to sabotage Elena, why would he leave a trail leading directly to himself?”
Adrian said nothing.
Marcus was right.
Someone had wanted the evidence to point toward Victor.
Which meant the real person was probably somewhere else.
Adrian returned his attention to the report.
“Who else had access?”
“Several executives.”
“Names?”
Marcus handed him another page.
Adrian read through them.
Daniel Cross.
Ethan Cole.
Several members of the finance department.
And—
Elena Sinclair.
His eyes stopped on her name.
“She had access?”
“Limited access.”
“Why?”
“She was given executive clearance when Alexander appointed her successor.”
Adrian stared at the report.
That was interesting.
“Has she told Alexander about the threat?”
“Not yet.”
Adrian looked up.
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“She's stubborn.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
He remembered their conversation the previous day.
Don't underestimate me.
He had underestimated her once.
He wouldn't make that mistake twice.
---
Across Manhattan, Elena sat behind her desk staring at the same report for nearly five minutes.
The unknown caller's warning hadn't left her mind.
She hadn't told Alexander.
She didn't know why.
Perhaps because she didn't want him thinking she couldn't handle pressure.
Perhaps because she wanted to solve the problem herself.
Or perhaps because she was beginning to understand the real purpose of the probation.
If she ran to her grandfather every time something went wrong, she would never become the leader he expected her to be.
Grace entered.
“Elena?”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“The financial department sent the access records.”
Elena took the document.
Her eyes moved down the list.
Then stopped.
“What's wrong?” Grace asked.
Elena pointed to one name.
“Daniel Cross.”
Grace frowned.
“What about him?”
“He accessed the Madison Heights files three times before the forged document was uploaded.”
Grace's expression changed.
“Do you think he did it?”
“I don't know.”
“But?”
Elena looked at the records.
“But I'm going to find out.”
Her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Alexander Sinclair.
She answered.
“Grandfather.”
“Come to my office.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
The call ended.
Elena stood.
“I'll be back.”
---
Alexander was waiting when Elena entered his office.
He was standing beside the windows, hands clasped behind his back.
“You received a call last night.”
Elena froze.
“How do you know?”
Alexander turned.
“I know more than you think.”
She stared at him.
“Did you have someone monitoring me?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
“The security department informed me that an unknown number contacted your private line.”
Elena exhaled.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
She didn't answer.
Alexander walked toward his desk.
“Elena, you don't have to prove your strength by refusing help.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
She looked away.
“I just don't want everyone thinking I can't handle this.”
Alexander's expression softened.
“Everyone already thinks you're incapable.”
Elena looked at him.
“That isn't exactly comforting.”
“It isn't supposed to be.”
He handed her a file.
“Adrian Vale.”
Elena opened it.
“Why?”
“He'll be meeting you again today.”
“For Madison Heights?”
“Yes.”
She frowned.
“Why does he care so much about my project?”
Alexander didn't answer immediately.
“Adrian has his own interests.”
“Meaning?”
“You'll find out.”
Elena sighed.
“You and your secrets.”
Alexander smiled faintly.
“Some answers have to be earned.”
---
At three in the afternoon, Elena entered a private conference room at the Black Empire.
Adrian was already there.
He stood beside the window, reading a document.
When he turned and saw her, his gaze lingered for a moment.
“You're late.”
Elena checked her watch.
“I'm two minutes early.”
Adrian glanced at the clock.
“You are.”
“Then don't accuse me of being late.”
A faint smile touched his lips.
“Noted.”
She sat.
Adrian remained standing.
“I heard about the threat.”
Elena's eyes narrowed.
“How?”
“Information travels.”
“That's becoming a very annoying phrase.”
He ignored that.
“Are you all right?”
Elena wasn't expecting the question.
“Yes.”
“You don't look like it.”
“I didn't realize you were concerned about my appearance.”
“I was talking about the threat.”
“I know.”
Adrian sat opposite her.
“Tell me what happened.”
“No.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“No?”
“This is my problem.”
“It's becoming mine.”
“Why?”
“Because the person threatening you may also be interfering with the Madison Heights project.”
Elena went still.
“What makes you think that?”
“The forged document.”
She studied him.
“You've been investigating.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm competing for the same project.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“That doesn't explain it.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“You're right.”
He paused.
“I want to know who is manipulating the project too.”
Elena studied him carefully.
For the first time, she realized Adrian wasn't simply testing her.
He was investigating something himself.
“Do you trust anyone inside Black Empire Holdings?” he asked.
“No.”
“Good.”
She frowned.
“Why good?”
“Because you shouldn't.”
He slid a document toward her.
“Someone has been moving money through a series of subsidiary accounts.”
Elena opened it.
Her eyes widened.
“These transfers aren't in our main report.”
“Exactly.”
She looked at him.
“Where did you get this?”
“From my own investigation.”
“You shouldn't have access to this.”
“I don't need permission to investigate a company I'm competing against.”
Elena almost smiled.
“You're impossible.”
“So I've been told.”
She looked back at the figures.
“How much?”
“Twenty-three million dollars.”
Her expression hardened.
“That's not an accounting error.”
“No.”
“Someone is stealing from the Black Empire.”
Adrian nodded.
“And if you want to survive your probation, you need to find out who.”
Elena looked at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Adrian's voice softened.
“Don't investigate alone.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Is that an order?”
“No.”
“What is it?”
“A warning.”
Elena closed the file.
“I'll consider it.”
Adrian stood.
“You should.”
He walked toward the door.
“Elena.”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
His gaze held hers.
“Be careful.”
Then he left.
Elena remained seated.
For some reason, the warning felt different coming from him.
She looked down at the documents again.
Twenty-three million dollars.
A forged signature.
An unknown threat.
And someone inside the Black Empire was moving money without authorization.
Elena had entered the company thinking her greatest challenge would be proving she deserved the crown.
She was beginning to realize the real challenge was discovering who was trying to destroy the kingdom before she could inherit it.
End of Chapter 8
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