Chapter 1

The moment I ended the call, the finance intern slammed her hand on the table.

"Owen, who's that performance supposed to impress?"

Talia Whitcomb lifted her phone for everyone to see.

"The chairman's last name is Bexley and yours is Bexley, so now you're just inventing a father on the spot?"

Several employees who had attended the AI-system training gathered at the doorway.

One scrolled through the company chat.

Another laughed outright.

"Didn't know Owen had that kind of background."

"The chairman's son still has to put business expenses on his own credit card?"

Talia opened the expense portal and refreshed it.

The approved amount remained at $1.

She turned the screen toward everyone.

"If you were really the chairman's son, would you be chasing Finance for thirteen grand?

"Hotel, airfare, client meals—all paid out of pocket?

"Your last name isn't a security badge. The system recognizes data. It doesn't care who you say your father is."

I restacked the receipts scattered across the desk.

The client's signed confirmation sat on top.

"I'm requesting a manual review."

Talia folded her arms.

"Denied.

"Flagged claims go into the risk queue. Whoever touches them owns the consequences."

I opened the policy document to the final page.

"Flagged expenses require review by two finance employees."

"You're quoting policy at me?" Talia tapped the page with one finger. "The company spent millions on this system to rein in old-timers like you."

The finance director walked in.

Marcus Ellery didn't look at the receipts.

He looked at the phone on my desk.

"Owen. Turn off the recording.

"This is an internal conversation."

I slipped the phone into my shirt pocket.

"Internal conversations still have to follow policy."

Marcus pulled out a chair and sat down.

"You know what a company fears most?

"Veteran employees using their status to pressure new hires, bypass procedures, and undermine the system."

Talia jumped in immediately.

"He also just pretended to be the chairman's son."

Marcus raised a hand to cut her off.

"Let's get the priorities straight."

He looked at me.

"Did you use a supposed family connection to interfere with the approval process?"

"I'm asking for a manual review."

"Then why did you make that call?"

"To find out whether Finance is even capable of conducting one."

Marcus pushed the claim back at me.

"So you admit you interfered with the approval."

I picked up the claim.

"The system misread the documents, and Finance refused to review them.

"That's the real issue."

Marcus pressed the conference-room display control.

A new notice appeared in the company-wide chat.

[Employee Owen Bexley attempted to pressure Finance through a personal relationship and interfered with automated approval controls. His expense claim has been suspended.]

Messages appeared almost immediately.

[Golden boy finally slipped up?]

[Does the chairman know he has another son?]

[Can't even get thirteen grand reimbursed and he's acting like an heir.]

My phone vibrated.

It was the client, Daniel Kessler.

I answered.

"Owen, can you get to the airport lounge within thirty minutes?

"The last page of the agreement has to be signed today."

I picked up my laptop bag.

"I'm on my way."

A voice message from the sales director came through the conference-room speakers.

It was Victor Halden.

"We're changing leads on the eighty-million-dollar account, effective immediately.

"Jason will take the team to the airport.

"Owen is barred from client contact for now so his personal dispute doesn't affect the deal."

I stopped at the door.

"I'm the only one who confirmed the delivery milestones and compensation terms directly with the client."

Jason Pruitt replied in the project chat.

[No project belongs to one person.]

[Owen should deal with his compliance problem instead of using the client to pressure the company.]

I photographed the client's signed confirmation and posted it in the project chat.

[Hotel and flight changes were made at the client's request. Client confirmation attached.]

Jason immediately took a screenshot.

He cropped out my explanation and left only the photo of the confirmation.

A second later, a new message appeared in the company-wide chat.

[Owen Bexley distributed client material without authorization in an attempt to clear himself over the expense claim.]

Talia added a thumbs-up.

Downstairs, I tapped my access badge three times.

The gate stayed shut.

A security guard stepped in front of me.

"Owen, the system says your building access has been suspended."

Talia had followed me into the lobby.

She had the receipts tucked under one arm.

"When your chairman daddy gets here, I'll fetch him a coffee myself."

My phone rang again.

It was Daniel.

When I picked up, his voice was low and flat.

"So your company has already replaced you, then?"

I gripped the useless badge and didn't answer.

Before he hung up, he said one more thing.

"Then this agreement needs to be reconsidered too."