Cut Off the Three Million

Chapter 3

The next morning, I reported to Everlast Group headquarters with the official title of Project Auditor in the Strategic Planning Department.

At three o'clock that afternoon, the audit team held its first meeting.

The team lead distributed all documentation for the Grand Prosperity project.

"This project is a priority for the chairman," she said. "We will review every procedure from the beginning. Pay close attention to the origin of the proposal, cost calculations, and all client communication records."

Someone raised a concern: "The contract was just awarded. Won't this kind of review hurt team morale?"

The lead turned toward me. "Riley, what's your view?"

I opened the file to page three.

The data model showed there was something I had built in this very rental apartment, working until four in the morning.

This was what Aziel had said to me back then. "Honey, you're more reliable than the rest of my whole team put together."

Now his name stood there alone.

I closed the folder. "Moral is built on genuine achievement, not on credit someone else earned."

The room went quiet.

Before the workday ended, a message came in from Aziel.

Aziel: You joined Everlast?

I didn't reply.

Another message followed immediately.

Aziel: What exactly are you trying to do?

Aziel: Riley, I'm warning you, stay away from the Grand Prosperity project. This is not something you should be getting involved in.

I typed back a single word.

Riley: Okay.

He called me immediately. "This project is my chance to turn things around. If you ruin this for me, I won't let this go."

I laughed. "What exactly will you do?"

"I know everything about your past at university, all the things you did for me," he said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Writing my sections of the proposal, editing my graduate thesis, covering expenses. If you push me, I'll tell them you were obsessed with me and that you stole company information to use against me."

It was remarkable how low someone could sink.

I switched my phone to record. "Aziel, say that again."

He gave a cold laugh. "Recording won't help. I'm the project lead for Grand Prosperity. Vice President Langley backs me, and Cressida is on my side. You're just a new hire in the audit department. What do you have against me?"

Heels clicked down the hallway outside the break room. Cressida walked in.

She saw me and paused. Then she smiled. "Miss Waverly, what a coincidence."

Aziel heard her voice and shifted instantly. "Cressida's there with you?"

Cressida held out her hand. "Let me speak to her."

I passed the phone over. She switched it to speaker.

Aziel rushed to explain, "Cressida, don't misunderstand. She's the one who wouldn't let go. I made things clear a long time ago."

Cressida looked straight at me. "Miss Waverly, Aziel and I are together now. Continuing to pursue him will only make you look desperate."

I asked, "Did he tell you when we actually broke up?"

"You ended things long ago," she said firmly. "He said your relationship had run its course, that you were the one having trouble accepting it."

I nodded. "Did he also mention that the day before he supposedly broke up with me, he asked me to edit the final draft of the Grand Prosperity proposal?"

Cressida's expression shifted. "Do you have proof?"

"I do," I said.

Aziel raised his voice. "Riley!"

I spoke into the phone, "Why are you so upset? I haven't shown it to anyone yet."

Cressida watched me closely. "What do you want?"

"Money," I said.

She looked surprised.

"The money Aziel owes me, I want it paid back," I added.

Silence from the other end of the line.

Aziel gritted out. "When did I ever owe you money?"

I took a steady breath, laying out the facts clearly. "Rent, living expenses, professional training, your suits, your laptop, and your mother's hospital bills. I covered thirty-two thousand for that."

Cressida looked at him differently. "You had your ex-girlfriend pay your mother's medical bills?"

Aziel's voice wavered. "That was a special situation."

"In total, one hundred and twenty-six thousand, four hundred." I sent the itemized list to Cressida's phone. "Keep the change, just one hundred and twenty-six thousand."

Cressida glanced through it and looked even less pleased.

Aziel said quickly. "Cressida, don't listen to her. Couples don't keep score like this."

Cressida handed the phone back to me. "Aziel, pay her."

"I don't have that kind of money right now," he said.

I smiled. "That's fine. There will be plenty of people at the celebration banquet tonight. You can always borrow it in front of everyone."