Chapter 3 - The Corporate Veil
I met Mark at a quiet diner on the outskirts of the city.
He looked nervous, constantly checking the door as he slid into the booth across from me.
"Emily, it's good to see you," he said, his eyes briefly flickering to my bandages before meeting my gaze.
"Skip the pity, Mark. I need to know about Ryan and Vanessa."
He swallowed hard and reached for his coffee.
"What about them?"
"Were they under investigation before the fire?"
Mark's eyes widened. "How did you know about the audit?"
"I didn't. You just confirmed it."
He let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair.
"It wasn't public knowledge. The company hired internal auditors in November."
"Looking for what?" I pressed.
"Missing funds. Nearly two million dollars siphoned from client accounts."
I leaned forward, ignoring the pull of the healing skin on my neck.
"Who had access to those accounts?"
"Ryan and Vanessa," Mark whispered. "They were the lead portfolio managers."
The pieces were clicking together with terrifying precision.
"They were stealing," I said flatly.
"The audit results were due the week of the fire," Mark explained. "Ryan had all the physical client files in his home office."
"He was supposed to bring them in," I realized.
"Yes. But then the house burned down. The files were destroyed."
"And the company?"
"Without the physical ledgers, the audit stalled. The digital backups were corrupted in a 'server glitch' a week prior."
Vanessa. She was in IT security before moving to management.
"So they got away with it," I said.
"They got transferred to the new Denver branch," Mark corrected. "A fresh start."
"Mark, Ryan left me. He's pushing for a fast divorce."
Mark looked genuinely shocked. "I'm so sorry, Emily."
"Don't be. Tell me where he's staying before he leaves for Denver."
"He's at the Oakwood Corporate Suites downtown."
I slid out of the booth.
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"Emily, wait," Mark called out. "Ryan is a desperate man. Be careful."
"I survived a burning building, Mark. Ryan is the one who should be careful."
