Chapter 1

My phone buzzed. A bank notification popped up on the screen, indicating an outgoing transaction of 100 thousand dollars. I set my cutlery down and looked at my fiance, Shawn Harrison.

He didn't look back at me. He was busy shelling crab meat for his godsister, Tiffany White. His head was lowered, and he was completely focused.

Tiffany was holding his phone. The screen was still lit, displaying the "Payment Successful" page on a luxury brand's website.

She casually spun the phone in her hand and waved it at me. "Hey, Meredith. I've been eyeing this bag for ages. Shawn said you're usually too frugal and don't understand fashion. So, he figured I could help him spend some money and keep up appearances."

There were seven or eight people at the table. All of them were Shawn's close friends and business partners. Everyone stopped eating, their eyes darting between me, Shawn, and Tiffany. One of them let out a short laugh.

After shelling the crab, Shawn put the freshly picked meat on Tiffany's plate. Only then did he finally look up at me.

"Tiffany's basically a kid. Don't lower yourself to her level. It's just a bag. It's not like we can't afford it."

I stayed silent. Unzipping my briefcase, I pulled out a voice recorder pen. As I pressed the record button, the red light blinked on. Then I took out my ultra-thin laptop, powered it up, and typed in the password.

My movements were smooth and precise, almost habitual.

Tiffany's smile froze. She leaned closer to Shawn, half her body practically draped over his arm.

"Look at her, Shawn. She even brought a laptop for dinner. Is she gonna start doing the accounts again? What a party pooper."

He frowned and slammed his cutlery on the table. "Meredith, is this some kind of work obsession? This is a casual, private dinner. Put that crap away!"

I ignored him, my fingers tapping on the keyboard. I created a new spreadsheet and named it "Shawn Harrison Large Unusual Expenditure Memo".

I pushed my gold-rimmed glasses up and looked at Tiffany. "You said you two share everything and that his money is yours, right?"

She raised her chin. "Yeah. Shawn and I grew up together. It's something called a 'bond', Meredith. Someone like you who only looks at spreadsheets would never understand."

I nodded. "Very well."

Then I turned to Shawn. "And you agree with that statement?"

He waved his hand impatiently. "Tiffany's like a little sister to me. What's wrong with her spending a bit of my money? You're my fiancee, but you can't tolerate something this trivial? Don't be petty. It's embarrassing."

I pressed the "enter" key. The cursor blinked on the screen. I spoke calmly, making sure the voice recorder captured every word clearly.

"According to the law, anyone who misappropriates corporate funds for personal use, especially in significant amounts, can face up to five years in prison.

"Shawn, your card is linked to the company's corporate account. Tiffany isn't an employee of the company, yet she just spent 100 thousand dollars using corporate funds."

I looked at him. "You're the company's legal representative, and I'm the chief risk officer. You authorized a non-employee to use corporate funds for personal luxury spending…"

I paused for effect. "If this isn't classified as embezzlement, then the only other explanation would be an illegal gift tied to a personal relationship. Our company is in the middle of a critical audit before going public.

"If this 100-thousand expense lacks a valid business justification, the auditors will flag your finances as non-compliant."