THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME SERVE HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER WITH MY BROKEN GLASSES HELD TOGETHER BY TAPE—THEN HIS FIANCÉE SAID, “SHE FELL IN THE LIBRARY,” BEFORE HE HAD EVEN ASKED WHY MY NOSE WAS BLEEDING.

By Friday morning, my transition into Vanessa's former administrative office on the second floor was fully complete.

The room had been completely stripped of her lavish, gaudy decorations—her oversized floral arrangements, designer perfume bottles, and vanity mirrors had all been thrown into industrial trash bins by the cleaning staff.

In their place stood organized stacks of corporate ledgers, encrypted communication terminals, and a clean, minimalist mahogany desk overlooking the sprawling gardens.

My new position as chief administrative coordinator came with responsibilities far beyond anything I had ever handled during my nine months as a banquet server.

I was tasked with auditing the estate's domestic payroll, reviewing vendor contracts, and managing Luca's daily executive schedule.

Yet, despite the overwhelming promotion, my mind kept drifting back to the loose threads of Vanessa's conspiracy.

Sitting at my new desk, I began sorting through the locked filing cabinets that Vanessa had used to store her personal property before her sudden expulsion.

Most of the drawers contained empty designer shopping bags, unused wedding stationery, and superficial guest lists.

However, when I pulled out the bottom-most drawer of the heavy steel filing cabinet, I noticed something peculiar.

The metal base of the drawer felt unusually thick, hollowed out by an aftermarket modification that created a secret compartment beneath the bottom plate.

My heart gave a sudden, nervous flutter.

Remembering Luca's warning about remaining vigilant, I reached into my desk drawer, pulled out a small letter opener, and carefully wedged it beneath the false bottom plate.

With a sharp, metallic pop, the magnetized panel came loose, lifting upward to reveal a hidden stash inside.

Resting in the dark recess was a heavy black cryptographic flash drive and a folded sheet of heavy parchment covered in complex alphanumeric cipher codes.

I stared at the items for several seconds, my breath catching in my throat.

Vanessa hadn't just been stealing family heirlooms and gambling funds; she had been communicating with an external corporate entity using military-grade encryption.

I picked up the flash drive and the cipher sheet with trembling fingers, stood up from my desk, and walked briskly down the second-floor corridor toward Luca's private office.

Without waiting for an invitation, I tapped lightly on the heavy double doors and pushed them open.

Luca was seated behind his large executive desk, reviewing a series of shipping manifests from Moretti Logistics.

He looked up immediately as I entered, his piercing grey eyes softening slightly when he saw it was me.

Megan, he said, leaning back in his leather chair.

Is there an issue with the domestic payroll audit?

No, sir, I replied, my voice breathless as I walked across the room and placed the black flash drive and the cipher paper directly onto the blotter in front of him.

I found this hidden inside a false bottom in Vanessa's filing cabinet five minutes ago.

Luca's expression transformed instantly from relaxed curiosity to razor-sharp concentration.

He picked up the small USB drive, turning it over in his large, steady hands.

A cryptographic flash drive, he murmured, his voice dropping into a dangerous register.

She wasn't just working alone to drain personal accounts.

She was tied into a corporate network.

I nodded eagerly, pointing down at the cipher sheet.

I checked the alphanumeric codes against the logistics inventory sheets from Moretti Logistics downstairs.

The routing numbers match the shipping containers coming through the South Chicago harbor terminals.

Luca looked up from the drive, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten.

You cross-referenced corporate shipping manifests with a secret cipher on your second day in office? he asked, a hint of profound respect coloring his tone.

I... I wanted to be thorough, sir, I admitted, feeling a hot flush rise to my cheeks.

Thorough is an understatement, Megan, Luca said softly, standing up from his desk.

You just uncovered the missing link in a multi-million-dollar corporate embezzlement ring that has been bleeding our shipping operations dry for over a year.

He picked up his desk phone and punched a direct extension.

Daniel, get the private security team ready.

We are paying an unannounced visit to Moretti Logistics downtown in twenty minutes.