Chapter 3 A Dangerous Discovery

The more Katie pored over Martin Alva' old case notes, the more her gut told her something was off. She'd spent the past two days going through every detail, every clause, every email chain related to the Forte Global merger-and one thing was clear. Someone had been manipulating the financials. And all roads led to Eddy Moore.

The CFO was careful, but not careful enough. Katie had spotted subtle discrepancies-small amounts shuffled between accounts, contracts altered by a mere fraction of a percentage, enough to look insignificant at first glance but, when accumulated, worth millions.

Martin Alva must have seen it too. And that's why he ran. But Katie wasn't running. She was going to expose whoever was behind this, even if it meant going up against Justin Clark himself. A Confrontation Over Scotch. By the time Katie stormed into the Clarke Enterprises executive lounge, it was past midnight. Most of the floor was empty, but she found exactly who she was looking for.

Justin sat alone at the bar counter, a half-finished glass of scotch in his hand. The dim lighting softened the sharp edges of his face, but his posture remained the same-controlled, unreadable, dangerous. He barely glanced up as she approached. "Valerie. Late night?"

"You knew." She dropped the folder onto the counter with a sharp thud. "You knew there were inconsistencies in the Forte Global deal."

He finally looked up, his blue eyes glinting with something unreadable. "What exactly are you accusing me of?"

She folded her arms, standing her ground. "I'm accusing you of letting this company bleed money because someone in your own executive team is playing dirty. And I think you've known about it for a while."

Justin swirled the amber liquid in his glass before setting it down. Then, slowly, he stood-his imposing height forcing her to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you?" His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of something dangerous.

Katie didn't flinch. "I think I know that Eddy Moore has been tampering with the financials. I think Martin Alva figured it out and was either pushed out or scared into leaving. And I think you-" She jabbed a finger at his chest. "-have known about this mess for a while but haven't done anything about it." His eyes darkened, and for a moment, she swore she saw a flicker of something close to amusement.

"Careful, Valerie," he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, velvet warning. "You're playing a dangerous game." She stepped closer, refusing to back down. "So are you." Silence stretched between them. The tension was thick, like a tightly coiled wire ready to snap.

Then, Justin exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "You really don't scare easily, do you?". "Not even a little," she shot back. A slow, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at his lips. He leaned in just a fraction, voice lower, smoother. "Good," he murmured. "Because if you want the truth, Valerie, you're going to have to dig a lot deeper than Moore."

Her stomach twisted. Moore wasn't working alone. "How deep are we talking?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease creeping up her spine. Justin took another sip of his drink before placing the glass back down with a deliberate clink.

"Deep enough that once you start," he said, watching her carefully, "there's no going back."

A Warning and a Threat:

Katie left the lounge with her pulse racing, her mind spinning with possibilities. If Justin wasn't the one orchestrating the financial fraud, then why wasn't he stopping it?. The thought stuck with her as she made her way to her car. She had barely unlocked the door when a voice called from behind her. "Ms. Valerie." She turned sharply, her hand instinctively tightening around her bag. Eddy Moore stood a few feet away, his smile easy but his eyes sharp.

Katie kept her expression neutral. "Mr. Moore. Late night?". He chuckled. "I was just on my way out when I saw you. Thought we should have a little chat."

"About?"

He took a slow step forward, his gaze assessing. "I hear you've been asking a lot of questions." Her pulse quickened, but she forced a cool smile. "That's my job." Moore nodded, his hands in his pockets, but there was nothing casual about the way he studied her.

"Be careful, Katie," he said smoothly. "Some questions don't come with safe answers." Her jaw clenched. "Is that a warning or a threat?"

Moore's smile didn't waver. "Just some friendly advice." Without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.

Katie exhaled slowly, her grip tightening around her car keys. She wasn't just dealing with corporate fraud.

She was dealing with something much bigger. Much more dangerous. And she had just painted a target on her back.