Chapter 33 – Fault Lines

Friday brought a rare lull in the usual storm of activity. Evelyn arrived early, the office still hushed, her heels echoing against the marble floors as she made her way to her corner office. The crisp morning light poured through the windows, casting long shadows across her desk.

She relished the quiet. For once, she could breathe.

Until she noticed the manila folder left on her chair.

It wasn't addressed. Inside, a printed spreadsheet bore Drake Industries' letterhead, only the figures were off. Alarmingly so. Projected expenses were inflated. Several line items had been duplicated. And worse: her digital signature sat at the bottom.

Evelyn stared at the page, her blood turning cold. She had never seen this file before.

A soft knock came at the door.

Hana entered, clutching her tablet. "Morning. I was just going to... oh." She saw the folder in Evelyn's hands. "What's that?"

"Someone's idea of a joke," Evelyn replied, though her voice was tight.

Hana stepped closer. Her eyes scanned the contents, then flicked up with alarm. "You didn't sign that. Did you?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Never. And that budget? It's a mess."

Hana's brows furrowed. "I can check the approval logs. Someone had to upload this to the system. If we're lucky, they left a trail."

"Please," Evelyn whispered.

Meanwhile, in his private office, Noah opened the audit report he and his team had spent the last forty-eight hours assembling. The findings weren't definitive, but they were damning enough: several expense reports tied to Evelyn's name had timestamps that didn't align with her known activity.

He rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the numbers again. Someone was going out of their way to make it look like Evelyn was manipulating the budget. And whoever it was had access to senior systems.

When his phone lit up with Alexander's name, he answered immediately.

"She's being framed," Noah said.

"I know," Alexander replied. "I want every piece of evidence you can find."

Genevieve met Claudia that afternoon for tea at the Westin's rooftop lounge. Seoul's skyline glittered beneath them.

"She's getting rattled," Genevieve reported calmly. "Hana found the first forged document this morning."

Claudia sipped her tea. "And the board?"

"They're watching. Some are wary, some are already convinced she's overreaching."

"Good," Claudia said. "Let the cracks show. We don't need to push. We just need to make sure no one stops the fall."

By evening, Evelyn sat at her desk, lights dimmed, forehead resting in her hands. She hadn't told Alexander. Not yet. She didn't want him to step in, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

Hana returned quietly, placing a flash drive on the desk. "I found something," she said. "A login. It doesn't belong to you. Or to me."

Evelyn's head lifted.

"It's Genevieve's."

The tremor in Evelyn's chest stilled. She stood slowly, the fire returning to her eyes. "Then let's make sure she knows we found her fingerprint."

For the first time in days, Evelyn smiled.

The ground beneath her might be shifting but she was ready to anchor down.