Chapter 10 - The Final Audit
Arthur Sterling sat in the executive boardroom on the 41st floor, sipping a cup of artisanal espresso while reviewing quarterly spreadsheets. He looked up smoothly as the heavy oak doors opened, expecting to see a courier or a junior analyst.
Instead, Dante Marino walked into the room alone, his face carved from absolute ice. Emily followed close behind, carrying a thick manila folder and her trusty staple gun.
"Dante," Arthur said smoothly, adjusting his silk tie with practiced ease. "I didn't expect you downstairs this late. Everything alright with the audit?"
"The numbers don't match, Arthur," Dante said quietly, walking toward the head of the mahogany table.
Arthur smiled faintly, leaning back in his leather chair. "Accounting errors happen, boss. I can have the team re-run the ledgers by Monday morning."
"This error isn't in the ledgers," Emily stated, slamming the Operation Phoenix printouts onto the polished wood. "It's in the murder memo from nine years ago."
Arthur's smile flickered for a fraction of a second before he forced it back onto his face. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Ms. Davies. You're clearly out of your depth here."
May you like
"Am I?" Emily raised an eyebrow, pulling a small audio recorder from her pocket and hitting play.
The room filled with the recorded voice of Marcus Vance confessing to Arthur's direct involvement in planting the car bomb. Arthur's face drained of all color, the polished corporate mask shattering into a million jagged pieces.
