Chapter 3

Laura nodded and began sorting through the documents on her desk.

Issac sat back in his chair with his legs crossed, looking like a man who already knew how the meeting would end.

"I'm curious to see what kind of 'college girl' is going to show up and play along with this little charade."

Selene let out a quiet giggle.

"Maybe she'll show up wearing a ton of makeup. That would make the whole thing even less believable."

I did not respond. I simply glanced at my phone.

Three minutes passed.

Then five.

Laura was starting to lose patience.

"Steven, is your wife actually coming?"

"She said 10 minutes. There are 2 minutes left."

Suddenly, Issac pulled a sheet of paper from his folder and slid it across the desk.

"Since you insist she's your wife, we might as well wait for her and verify it in person. Still, until the investigation is over, I suggest you sign this interim agreement first."

I lowered my gaze to the document.

The first clause read:

[Steven Lane voluntarily requests to suspend his candidacy for the current promotion due to concerns regarding his personal conduct.]

The second stated:

[For the duration of the investigation, he voluntarily relinquishes his position as project lead.]

At the bottom, in much smaller print, was another line:

[I confirm that the above decisions have been made without any form of coercion.]

I looked up.

"Is this a company requirement or a personal demand from you?"

Issac leaned back in his chair. His tone sounded even more relaxed than before.

"What difference does it make? Given the situation, the company has to consider the potential fallout. If you have nothing to hide, signing this is just a temporary formality. Once the investigation is over, you'll get your position back."

I turned the document around and pushed it toward him.

"And what happens if the investigation never ends?"

Issac gave a short laugh.

"Steven, your priority right now should be proving your innocence, not nitpicking the wording."

Laura added, "This is merely an internal procedure. It will not affect the investigation whether you sign it or not."

"Then why am I being asked to give up my promotion before the investigation is finished?"

Her hand froze in midair.

The smile slowly disappeared from Issac's face.

"You're the person under investigation. Avoiding a conflict of interest is just common sense."

"Selene is also a candidate for the promotion. Why isn't she being asked to step aside?"

I turned toward Selene.

Her expression changed immediately. She lowered her head and began shuffling through the documents in front of her.

Issac tapped his knuckles against the desk.

"Please do not twist ordinary workplace arrangements into some kind of personal vendetta."

I did not argue further.

Instead, I took out my phone and photographed the interim agreement.

Then I pulled up the email informing me that my access privileges had been revoked.

"My authority as project lead was revoked at 9:12 this morning.

"At 2:27 this afternoon, Issac placed this document asking me to withdraw from the promotion competition in front of me.

"Both incidents will be included in the investigation records, I assume?"

Laura instinctively glanced at Issac.

The look lasted less than a second, but it told me everything I needed to know.

Issac's expression darkened.

"Are you threatening the company?"

"I'm preserving evidence."

Silence settled over the conference room.

Then footsteps echoed from the hallway.

This time, they stopped outside the door. No knock came right away.

Issac checked his watch and sneered.

"If your wife really cared about you, she wouldn't keep you waiting like this. Maybe she doesn't even know how you've been introducing her to people behind her back."

I met his gaze.

"We'll find out soon enough."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the footsteps approached again.

A knock sounded at the door.

I rose to my feet and opened it.

Kayla stood outside.

She wore a plain white T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. Not a trace of makeup touched her face.

She looked every bit like a college student who had just stepped out of class.

Yet a black document bag rested in her hand.

She walked in and looked at me first, making sure no one had cornered me or pressured me into backing down.

Only then did she place the bag on the table.

It was a small, almost casual gesture.

Even so, Issac sat up a little straighter in his chair.

Selene, meanwhile, looked at Kayla with poorly concealed smugness.

"So this is Mr. Lane's 'wife'?"