Chapter 4 - The Phantom Ledger
The next week, the investigation hit a breakthrough. Julian, using his vast knowledge of corporate loopholes, dug deeper into the logistics data than a junior clerk ever could.
He waited until Maya was at her desk, eating a sad-looking sandwich, and dropped a thick binder in front of her.
"Look at the vendor payouts for the third quarter," Julian said, pulling up a chair next to her.
Maya frowned, wiping mayo from her lip, and opened the binder. Her eyes rapidly scanned the columns. "Wait. These freight companies... Apex Shipping, Zenith Cargo. I've never heard of them. And the invoices are being approved directly by..."
"Vice President Marcus Sterling," Julian finished.
Maya gasped, looking around the open-plan office to ensure no one was listening. Marcus Sterling was the head of the Queens division. He was a tyrant who drove to work in a Porsche and constantly threatened to fire the staff.
"Sterling is approving fake invoices to ghost companies," Maya whispered, her eyes wide with shock. "He's embezzling. Millions of dollars. Jules, this is massive. If corporate finds out..."
"If corporate finds out, they'll fire him," Julian said smoothly.
"No," Maya shook her head, her face pale. "You don't understand how this company works. Vanguard is ruthless. If there's a leak this big, they won't just fire Sterling. They'll shut down the entire division to stop the bleeding. Everyone on this floor will lose their jobs. My mother will lose her healthcare."
Julian hated that she was right. That was exactly what his standard protocol dictated. Cut the infected limb to save the body.
"We have to take this to the police ourselves," Maya said fiercely. "We bypass corporate. We blow the whistle."
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"Maya, you can't go to the police. Sterling is a VP. He has lawyers. He'll crush you," Julian warned, his protective instincts flaring. He wanted to tell her the truth—that he could ruin Sterling with a single phone call—but he couldn't break his cover. Not yet.
"I'm not letting that arrogant thief destroy my team," Maya said, her jaw set. She reached for the binder. "I'm downloading the master ledger tonight."
