Chapter 18:The Gala List

Zoe's POV

By morning, Arthur had confirmed it.

The charity gala was not just another event.

It was one of the biggest events Blackwood Industries held every year.

Arthur stood beside Julian's desk, spreading several papers across the large wooden surface.

Zoe stood near the window with her arms crossed.

Outside, the city was slowly waking up.

Cars moved along the streets.

People hurried to work.

Buildings stood tall against the morning sky.

Everything looked normal.

Almost too normal.

Zoe stared down at the city.

Nobody outside knew what was happening inside Blackwood Industries.

Nobody knew that the head of security might be working with a competitor.

Nobody knew that a letter found in a security office might connect him to Julian's father's final months.

And nobody knew that Marcus might be planning something for the gala.

Arthur pointed to one of the papers.

“The gala is a Blackwood Industries charity event,” he said. “Every major shareholder attends. Every board member attends. Some of the company's biggest partners will be there too.”

Julian stood behind his desk.

He looked tired.

The events of the previous night had clearly taken a toll on him.

But his attention remained completely focused on Arthur.

“How many people?” Julian asked.

“Hundreds.”

Julian frowned.

Arthur continued.

“And the important part is that you're expected to stay for most of the evening.”

Julian's expression darkened.

“So I'm in one place for hours.”

“Exactly.”

Zoe turned from the window.

“A predictable place.”

Arthur nodded.

“That's what worries me.”

Julian looked at the papers.

“A perfect setup.”

His voice was quiet.

But Zoe could hear the anger underneath it.

Arthur pulled another document from the pile.

“There is something else.”

Julian looked up.

Arthur's expression became serious.

“I pulled the vendor list for the event.”

He placed the document on the desk.

“The security company for the gala is not part of Marcus's normal team.”

Zoe's stomach tightened.

“What company is it?”

“A private security firm.”

“Have we used them before?” Julian asked.

Arthur shook his head.

“No.”

Julian's eyes narrowed.

“Who hired them?”

Arthur looked directly at him.

“Marcus.”

The room became quiet.

Zoe looked at the paper.

“When?”

“Six weeks ago.”

Zoe slowly turned toward Julian.

“Six weeks.”

Arthur nodded.

“Six weeks.”

Zoe's mind immediately went back to everything that had happened.

The flash drive.

The strange messages.

Marcus's movements.

The fire.

The disabled cameras.

The letter.

The connection to Vantage Holdings.

It all seemed to be falling into place.

“He was already planning this,” Zoe said.

Arthur nodded.

“That's what it looks like.”

“Before we even found the flash drive,” she added.

“Yes.”

Zoe felt a chill move through her.

Marcus had not started planning because they discovered him.

He had been planning long before that.

Maybe months before.

Maybe longer.

Julian picked up the vendor list.

“Who approved the contract?”

“Marcus personally.”

“Does anyone else know about it?”

“Several people in the events department, but nobody seems to have questioned it.”

“Of course they didn't.”

Julian placed the paper down.

Marcus had been doing everything in plain sight.

He had used his position.

He had made himself look useful.

And because everyone trusted him, nobody had thought to question his decisions.

Arthur folded his arms.

“We need to pull him in.”

Zoe looked at him.

“What do you mean?”

“We go to the police.”

Julian's expression changed.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

Arthur pointed toward the papers.

“We have the letter. We have the photographs. We have the financial records connecting Marcus to the shell company. We have evidence that he hired a separate security company for the gala.”

Zoe felt a little hope rise inside her.

Maybe this could finally end.

Maybe the police could investigate Marcus.

Maybe they could stop whatever he was planning.

But Julian shook his head.

“With what?”

Arthur looked at him.

Julian's voice became sharper.

“A photograph of an old letter?”

He picked up another paper.

“Notes from Zoe's journal?”

He placed it down.

“Financial records that Marcus will claim he knows nothing about?”

Arthur stayed quiet.

Julian continued.

“Marcus has an explanation for everything.”

Zoe understood what he meant.

If they went to the police too soon, Marcus would have time to defend himself.

He could deny everything.

He could claim the letter was taken out of context.

He could say the payments were business transactions.

He could say Zoe had misunderstood what she saw.

And if he realized they were investigating him, he might disappear.

Or worse.

He might move his plan forward.

Arthur sighed.

“So what do you suggest?”

Julian looked at him.

“We keep gathering evidence.”

“Quietly?”

“Yes.”

Arthur didn't look convinced.

“Julian…”

“We don't have enough yet.”

“What if we wait too long?”

“I know.”

The two men stared at each other.

Zoe watched them in silence.

Finally, Arthur asked,

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Julian answered without hesitation.

“We make Marcus believe everything is normal.”

Zoe turned toward him.

“Normal?”

Julian nodded.

“Exactly.”

“You mean we pretend nothing happened?”

“Yes.”

“Around Marcus?”

“Yes.”

“Every day?”

Julian looked at her.

“Yes.”

Zoe let out a nervous breath.

“I don't know if I can do that.”

She looked down at her hands.

She had spent weeks watching Marcus.

Watching his movements.

Listening to his conversations.

Wondering whether he knew she was suspicious.

Now she was supposed to stand in front of him and act like everything was fine.

Like she had not seen the letter.

Like she did not know about Vantage Holdings.

Like she did not know he had been hiding something.

The thought made her stomach twist.

Julian walked toward her.

“You've been doing it for weeks already.”

Zoe looked up.

His gray-blue eyes were tired, but there was something steady in them.

“You've been around Marcus while knowing something was wrong,” he continued.

“You've watched him.”

“You've stayed calm.”

“You've continued doing your job.”

Zoe shook her head.

“Not because I wasn't scared.”

“I know.”

“I was terrified.”

“I know.”

Julian stopped in front of her.

“But you still did it.”

His voice softened.

“You're stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

The words caught her off guard.

Zoe looked away.

She didn't know why those words affected her so much.

Maybe because she had never thought of herself as strong.

She had simply learned how to survive.

Growing up in foster care had taught her not to expect people to stay.

It had taught her to depend on herself.

When something went wrong, she handled it.

When someone left, she kept going.

When she was scared, she tried not to show it.

Strength had never felt like a choice.

It had simply been necessary.

She looked back at Julian.

“I'm not sure I feel strong.”

“You don't have to feel strong to be strong.”

Zoe didn't answer.

For a moment, the room became quiet.

Then Arthur's phone buzzed.

The sound cut through the silence.

Arthur reached for it.

He glanced at the screen.

His face changed immediately.

The color seemed to leave his face.

Julian noticed.

“What?”

Arthur didn't answer.

He read the message again.

Then he looked at Julian.

“What is it?” Julian asked.

Arthur slowly put the phone down.

“The board.”

Zoe felt uneasy.

“What about them?”

Arthur's voice became careful.

“Someone sent them an anonymous tip this morning.”

Julian's expression hardened.

“About what?”

Arthur looked at Zoe.

She immediately felt uncomfortable.

“About Zoe.”

Zoe's stomach dropped.

“What about me?”

Arthur picked up the phone again.

“There are financial records.”

He paused.

“Photographs.”

Another pause.

“And other documents.”

Zoe stared at him.

“What do they say?”

Arthur swallowed.

“They say you have been passing internal company documents to a competitor.”

Zoe felt as if the floor had moved beneath her.

“What?”

Arthur shook his head.

“I know.”

“I've never done that.”

“I know.”

“I would never—”

“I know, Zoe.”

Her voice became louder.

“Then why would they say that?”

Arthur's expression was grim.

“Because someone wants the board to believe it.”

Zoe stared at him.

The room suddenly felt too small.

Marcus.

It had to be Marcus.

He had realized they were searching for him.

Now he was turning the story around.

“He's making me look guilty,” Zoe whispered.

Arthur nodded.

“That appears to be what he's doing.”

Julian's hands tightened at his sides.

“When did the board receive this?”

“This morning.”

“Who sent it?”

“Anonymous.”

“Can we trace it?”

“We're trying.”

Julian turned toward Arthur.

“What did the board say?”

Arthur hesitated.

“They called an emergency session.”

“When?”

“This afternoon.”

Julian's eyes narrowed.

“What do they want?”

Arthur looked between Julian and Zoe.

“They want you to fire her.”

Silence.

Zoe stopped breathing for a moment.

“Fire me?”

Arthur nodded.

“Immediately.”

“Why?”

“They want you to do it before the meeting.”

Zoe felt cold all over.

“As a show of good faith,” Arthur added quietly.

Zoe stared at the floor.

Everything suddenly seemed to be falling apart.

If Julian fired her, she would lose her job.

If the board believed the accusations, she could be blamed for something she had never done.

And if the police became involved, things could become even worse.

She had no powerful family behind her.

No wealthy parents.

No connections inside the company.

Nothing except the truth.

And the truth did not always win quickly.

Her hands began to shake.

Arthur's next words made it worse.

“The board doesn't know Marcus the way we do.”

He paused.

“They know him as the head of security.”

“Eleven years of service,” Julian said bitterly.

“Yes.”

Arthur looked at Zoe.

“And they know Zoe as a housekeeper with foster-care records and no family connections inside the company.”

Zoe's chest tightened.

“Whose story do you think they'll believe?”

Nobody answered.

The question did not need an answer.

Zoe looked at Julian.

“Julian…”

Her voice sounded smaller than she wanted.

“What are you going to do?”

Julian stared at her.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then something changed in his face.

The fear disappeared.

The uncertainty disappeared.

What remained was calm determination.

“I'm not firing you.”

Zoe blinked.

“But the board—”

“I'm not firing you.”

“Julian—”

“Not today.”

He stepped closer.

“Not tomorrow.”

His voice became firm.

“Not ever, if I have any say in it.”

Zoe stared at him.

“But they can make things difficult for you.”

“Let them.”

“Your company—”

“Can survive a board meeting.”

Arthur watched him carefully.

Julian picked up the letter they had found the night before.

His expression became colder.

“The board wants an explanation?”

Arthur nodded.

“Then they'll get one.”

Julian walked toward the door.

Zoe followed him with her eyes.

“Where are you going?”

“To the meeting.”

“Now?”

“No.”

He looked at the clock.

“We still have time.”

He held up the letter.

“But when that meeting begins, I'm bringing this with me.”

Arthur stood.

“Julian, think carefully.”

“I have.”

He looked at the letter again.

“This was written eighteen months before my father's death.”

His voice became quiet.

“It suggests Marcus Webb has been lying to my family for much longer than anyone realizes.”

Zoe felt a chill run through her.

Julian looked at her.

“And I'm not going to let him turn you into the villain.”

He opened the door.

“The board can ask me whatever they want.”

His expression hardened.

“But this time, they're going to hear the truth.”

Zoe watched him walk out.

For the first time since the accusations had arrived, she felt a little less afraid.

Marcus had tried to turn everyone against her.

But Julian had chosen to stand beside her.

And now the board was about to hear the first piece of a secret that had been hidden for eighteen months.

The gala was still three weeks away.

But Zoe suddenly understood something.

The real fight had already begun.