Chapter 12 - The Audit
1308 Words
Three days later...
The atmosphere inside De Luca Holdings had changed.
Employees spoke in hushed voices.
Security officers patrolled every executive floor.
Every file that entered or left the building was documented.
No one complained.
After the archive fire, everyone understood why.
...
Inside Sienna's office...
Kai placed another stack of reports on her desk.
"I've finished reviewing the logistics estimates."
Sienna nodded.
"Leave them there."
Kai looked at the mountain of paperwork.
"I still don't understand how you're this calm."
She looked up.
"Panicking won't restore burned documents."
"I know."
"But finding the person responsible might."
Sienna closed the file she was reading.
"I've already started."
Kai blinked.
"You have?"
She opened a folder and slid several printed pages across the desk.
"The archive's access log."
Kai quickly scanned it.
"These are employee entry records."
"Exactly."
"The archive was entered eight times that day."
Kai frowned.
"Eight?"
"Six entries belong to archive staff."
"One belongs to the cleaning supervisor."
"And the last one..."
She tapped a name with her finger.
"...doesn't make sense."
Kai's expression changed.
"The finance department?"
"They had no reason to be there."
"So you think—"
"I don't think."
She interrupted calmly.
"I'm verifying."
Kai smiled.
"I keep forgetting."
"What?"
"You don't accuse people."
"You gather evidence."
...
Across the executive floor...
Adrian stood beside the coffee machine, casually greeting employees as they passed.
Outwardly...
He looked as composed as ever.
Inwardly...
He was irritated.
His phone vibrated.
A text message appeared.
**We need to talk. It's urgent.**
His jaw tightened.
He immediately deleted the message.
Someone was becoming careless.
He hated careless people.
...
That afternoon...
Lorenzo called another executive meeting.
"I've reviewed the audit schedule."
He looked around the room.
"Every executive department will undergo an independent inspection."
"No exceptions."
Several executives nodded.
One director raised his hand.
"What about the France competition?"
"It continues."
Lorenzo replied.
"But from this point forward..."
"Every proposal will remain inside the executive vault."
"No department will keep private copies."
Sienna quietly wrote down the changes.
Adrian remained expressionless.
Only one person noticed...
Kai.
As everyone stood to leave, Kai leaned closer to Sienna.
"Did you see him?"
"Who?"
"Adrian."
"What about him?"
"He looked nervous."
Sienna gathered her files.
"Good."
Kai looked at her in surprise.
"You noticed too?"
"I did."
She walked toward the door.
"People become nervous..."
"...when they lose control."
...
That evening...
The office was nearly empty.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
Sienna finally shut down her laptop.
She rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Another long day.
As she reached for her handbag...
She noticed something lying beside it.
A small brown paper bag.
No ribbon.
No card.
Only her name neatly written across the front.
"Kai?"
She stepped outside.
The executive floor was empty.
No answer.
She opened the bag.
Inside...
A warm grilled sandwich.
A bottle of orange juice.
And a sticky note.
**You skipped lunch. Again.**
She sighed.
"...Persistent."
This time...
She couldn't stop herself from smiling.
She picked up her phone.
After staring at the black business card for several seconds...
She typed a single message.
**Thank you.**
She read it twice.
Then pressed send.
...
Hundreds of kilometers away...
Alex's phone vibrated during a meeting.
His assistant paused mid-sentence.
Alex glanced at the screen.
A single message.
**Thank you.**
No signature.
None was needed.
For the first time since the meeting began...
He smiled.
His assistant looked confused.
"Sir?"
Alex locked his phone and calmly replied,
"Continue."
But for the rest of the meeting...
He heard almost nothing.
Because after weeks of silence...
Sienna De Luca had finally sent him her first message.
_______
Alex stared at the message for a long moment.
**Thank you.**
Two simple words.
His assistant, Marco, had never seen his boss spend so much time looking at a phone.
"Sir..."
Alex slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"What is tomorrow's schedule?"
Marco opened his tablet.
"You have the European Investors' Summit in Rome."
"The charity foundation meeting."
"And dinner with the board."
Alex nodded.
"Cancel dinner."
Marco blinked.
"...Sir?"
"I have another idea."
...
Back in Italy...
The France Expansion Project had entered its second week.
Every department worked under immense pressure.
Sienna arrived at the office before eight as usual.
She had barely taken her seat when someone knocked.
"Come in."
Her assistant entered carrying a silver envelope.
"This arrived for you this morning."
Sienna frowned.
"Another delivery?"
"Yes."
"No flowers this time."
Kai walked in just in time to hear that.
He laughed.
"So there were flowers before?"
Sienna ignored him.
She opened the envelope.
Inside was a cream-colored invitation.
**The European Investors' Summit**
**Hosted by Bellucci International**
**Rome, Italy**
**Special Invitation for Miss Sienna De Luca**
Kai leaned over.
"Rome?"
She continued reading.
"The summit is in three days."
"They're inviting business leaders from across Europe."
Zara appeared in the doorway.
"Did someone say Rome?"
Kai handed her the invitation.
Her eyes widened.
"This is huge."
"The biggest investors' summit of the year."
Sienna looked thoughtful.
"It's unrelated to our France project."
Kai nodded.
"True."
"But attending could open new partnerships."
Before anyone could say more...
The office phone rang.
Sienna answered.
"Good morning."
Lorenzo's voice came through the receiver.
"My office."
"Now."
...
Five minutes later...
Sienna entered Lorenzo's office.
He stood beside the window reading the same invitation.
"I assume you've received yours."
"Yes."
He turned toward her.
"I want you to attend."
She hesitated.
"Our France proposal—"
"Will wait one day."
He interrupted.
"This summit is too important."
He placed another file on his desk.
"Adrian will also attend."
Sienna wasn't surprised.
"As will several board members."
Lorenzo folded his hands.
"I expect professionalism."
"I understand."
"And Sienna..."
She looked up.
"Do not let personal relationships interfere with company interests."
She immediately understood what he meant.
The gala photographs.
The rumors.
"There are no personal relationships."
Lorenzo studied her face.
Then nodded.
"Good."
"You may go."
...
Outside the office...
Adrian stood leaning against the hallway wall.
Almost as though he'd been waiting.
"So..."
He smiled politely.
"We're going to Rome together."
"It appears so."
"I hear Bellucci himself will be hosting."
Sienna walked past him.
"Probably."
Adrian fell into step beside her.
"Tell me something."
She remained silent.
"Are the rumors true?"
"What rumors?"
"You and Alex Bellucci."
She stopped walking.
For the first time that morning...
She looked directly at him.
"I don't discuss my private life."
A slow smile spread across Adrian's face.
"Interesting."
She turned and continued walking.
Leaving him standing alone.
...
That evening...
Kai drove Sienna home.
Traffic moved slowly through the city.
After several minutes of silence...
Kai finally spoke.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You usually do."
"Have you..."
He searched for the right words.
"...been talking to him?"
Sienna looked out the window.
"A little."
Kai nodded.
"I figured."
"You don't seem surprised."
"I'm not."
Another silence.
Then Kai smiled.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I've never seen anyone make you smile over a sandwich."
Sienna couldn't help laughing.
"It wasn't the sandwich."
"What was it?"
She thought for a moment.
"...The effort."
Kai's smile faltered for the briefest second.
"So..."
"He makes an effort."
"He does."
Kai nodded quietly.
"I see."
Neither of them spoke for the rest of the drive.
...
Elsewhere...
Alex stood on the balcony of his penthouse overlooking Rome's skyline.
Marco approached.
"The invitations have all been accepted."
Alex took a sip of his coffee.
"And Miss De Luca?"
Marco smiled.
"She'll be attending."
Alex looked out across the glittering city.
"Good."
Marco hesitated.
"Sir..."
"May I ask something?"
Alex glanced sideways.
"When did you become so interested in Miss De Luca?"
Alex was silent for several seconds.
Finally...
"I don't know."
He smiled faintly.
"I just know..."
"...Rome is about to become much more interesting."
- Writer
