The audit office smelled faintly of printer toner and citrus cleaner, a sterile calm that tried to mask the tension underneath. Elena sat beside Damian at the long glass table, fingers interlaced with his, watching people move like practiced ants—auditors with tablets, lawyers with unreadable faces, Jackson whispering into his phone. Ethan stood behind her, arms folded, eyes steady and guarded. Mara hovered near the doorway, ready with a sympathetic smile and a box of tissues just in case.“No one expects family matters in the middle of audits,” Elena said under her breath, the words barely a breath between them.Damian’s hand tightened around hers.“You okay?” he asked, voice low.She forced a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “As okay as one can be when intercepts happen and your husband is supposed to be proving he’s clean.”He winced at the word husband like it was both an honor and a weight. “We’ll get through this,” he said. “They need time to trace the transfer. I’v
Last Updated : 2025-10-16 Read more