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CHAPTER 80 — This Will Hurt
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-07-31 13:28:50
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One Night, Wrong Man CHAPTER 133 — The Family Meeting
*POV Derby* In the formal dining hall of the Vasquez estate in Greenwich, nobody was actually eating. The three-course dinner prepared by the private chef sat largely untouched on the long mahogany table, illuminated by the warm, flickering glow of crystal wall sconces. At the head of the table sat Arthur Vasquez, his posture regal, his aged hands resting over the silver handle of his walking cane. To his right sat Tamara Hayden, looking immaculate in a ivory silk blouse, her expression cool and perfectly composed. To his left sat Jordan, his suit jacket removed, his dark eyes fixed on his father with a quiet, lethal intensity. I wasn't invited to the table, of course. But as Arthur's executive staff had requested the final risk clearance file be delivered in person before the evening board briefing, I stood near the carved double doors of the adjoining study, holding my leather portfolio against my ribcage. "The Asian markets opened twenty minutes ago," Arthur began, his vo
One Night, Wrong Man CHAPTER 132 — Stand Beside Me
*POV Derby* My pen stopped two inches above the clearance sign-off line on the Zurich transfer manifest. I didn't turn around when the heavy glass door of the secondary conference room slid open with a soft, pressurized hiss. I didn't need to check the reflection in the dark windowpane to identify the sudden, distinct stillness that rippled through the open bullpen outside. Conversations abruptly died mid-sentence. The steady clicking of mechanical keyboards slowed to an awkward, fragmented crawl. Jordan stepped into the room. He hadn't taken the executive elevator to the penthouse suite, nor had he sent Daniel ahead to clear the hallway. He walked straight through the central aisle of the compliance department in plain view of forty auditors, senior managers, and corporate counsel. His navy suit jacket was unbuttoned, his silk tie loosened just enough to betray the storm he had walked out of on the eighty-eighth floor. He stopped right beside my desk, placing one broad pal
One Night, Wrong Man CHAPTER 131 — The First Public Blow
*POV Derby* The screen of my tablet illuminated the dark cabin of the taxi as it idled in Midtown traffic. I didn't need to open the Financial Times or the Wall Street Journal app. The notification came directly from an industry news syndicate known for its ruthless, insider access to corporate scandals. The notification banner was surprisingly discreet, almost academic in its framing, yet every word was designed to draw blood. "METEORIC RISE OR MERGER TACTIC? HOW A JUNIOR AUDITOR’S ROLE RAISED RED FLAGS BEFORE THE VASQUEZ INTEGRATION." I tapped the article, my thumb steady against the glass. The narrative wasn't a clumsy tabloid hit piece. Tamara was far too sophisticated to use cheap libel. Instead, the article was a masterclass in calculated insinuation. It detailed my rapid ascension within the risk compliance division over the last eighteen months, meticulously highlighting every major project assignment I had received—all of which conveniently overlapped with Jordan’s
One Night, Wrong Man CHAPTER 130 — And You Let It Happen
*POV Derby* I spent twenty minutes lining up my physical files on the corner of the teak desk, aligning every corner until the stack formed a perfect right angle. Outside the glass walls of Executive Suite B, the morning sun was cutting through the Midtown smog, casting long, pale ribbons of light across the plush grey carpet. My passport was inside my handbag. My flight confirmation was saved on my phone. In less than three hours, my contract with Vasquez Holdings would officially terminate. The heavy glass door clicked open, pivoting smoothly on its concealed hinges. Jordan walked in without knocking. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket, and his white silk shirt was open at the collar, the sleeves folded back over his forearms in loose, hurried folds. His hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had spent the entire night running his hands through it, and the deep shadow beneath his dark eyes told me he hadn't slept a single minute since our conversation in the garage. He d
One Night, Wrong Man CHAPTER 215: One Step Closer
*POV Derby* Jordan adjusted his cuff links, the heavy platinum cufflinks catching the pale dawn light filtering through the elevator shaft. He arrived at six-forty-five in the morning, long before the administrative staff or the legal teams flooded the floor. He didn't carry a mug of coffee or a stack of financial briefs. He carried a single, thick leather binder stamped with the official seal of the Vasquez Family Trust. Daniel waited in the quiet marble foyer, his hands folded in front of his waist, holding a secure tablet. "The board's emergency committee hasn't officially opened their session yet, sir," Daniel said, his low voice breaking the early morning silence of the corridor. "And Mr. Victor Vasquez is currently in a private briefing with Arthur Vance." "Call them," Jordan commanded smoothly, not slowing his stride as he walked past the reception desk. "Schedule a formal extraordinary hearing for seven-thirty. Put it on the permanent record." Daniel paused, his thumb
One Night, Wrong Man CHAPTER 129 — You’re Losing Me
*POV Derby* The mechanical rumble of the basement garage's ventilation system was the only sound breaking the heavy subterranean quiet. I held my leather briefcase tightly against my side, my heels echoing in a slow, rhythmic cadence across the painted concrete floor as I walked toward the executive sedan waiting near Pillar C. My flight to Zurich was scheduled for eight-thirty tomorrow morning, and my final security clearance token had already been turned in to Daniel. My time in this building was officially down to minutes. A heavy metal door banged open against the concrete wall behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The rapid, unpolished sound of heavy leather shoes striking the floor told me everything. Jordan was moving fast, abandoning the calculated, regal posture he usually presented to the board. "Derby! Stop!" I paused near the passenger side of the sedan, my hand hovering an inch above the door handle. I took a slow breath, letting the cool garag
One Night, Wrong Man Chapter 6 — Again
-POV Derby The first thing that brought me back to reality wasn’t the blinding sunlight cutting through the heavy velvet drapes. It was the sheer, suffocating quiet of the room. I blinked my eyes open, my brain taking a messy five seconds to remember exactly where I was. Penthouse suite. The Four
One Night, Wrong Man Chapter 5 — The Night.
-POV Derby Somewhere between freezing under Jordan Vasquez’s heavy gaze in the conference room and stepping into the private executive elevator, my brain completely short-circuited. I’d already decided to go upstairs. The rest was me desperately acting like this was still up for debate. The ride t
One Night, Wrong Man Chapter 4 — Impulse
-POV Derby I spent most of Thursday morning pretending my life hadn’t become significantly more complicated over the course of a single night. By the time I slipped into a seat near the back of the conference room, my presentation was already open on my laptop. The slides waited patiently on the s
One Night, Wrong Man Chapter 3 — Just a Name.
-POV Derby By Monday I’d almost convinced myself it was over. Not in some dramatic way. Just… closed. Like shutting a tab you left open too long and deciding not to open it again. I made coffee that tasted like nothing. Went to work. Answered emails acting like the weekend had never happened,
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