Chapter 4 - The Fourth Payment
Emily’s first month at Hartwell changed her life in small ways before it changed it in dangerous ones.
She paid the overdue rent.
She filled the refrigerator.
She replaced Lily’s shoes.
And on her first Friday paycheck, she bought back the necklace she had sold.
The pawnshop owner had kept it longer than required because he remembered her.
Emily cried when he placed it in her hand.
At work, she arrived early and left late.
Jonathan rarely interfered.
That surprised her.
She had expected special attention after the elevator encounter. Instead, he treated her professionally.
Sometimes they passed each other near the elevators.
Sometimes he asked how Lily was.
Sometimes she caught him looking amused when she practiced presentations under her breath.
But that was all.
Until one Tuesday night.
Emily was reconciling vendor reports when she found it.
Briar.
A fourth payment.
This one was $195,000.
The authorization trail was strange.
It appeared to have been approved by Jonathan himself.
Emily stared at his digital signature.
Her stomach tightened.
Maybe Vanessa had been right.
Maybe Emily had mistaken coincidence for corruption.
She printed the record.
“Working late?”
Emily jumped.
Jonathan stood behind her.
“You walk very quietly.”
“I’ve been accused of worse.”
She hesitated.
“Can I show you something?”
Jonathan read the document.
His expression changed.
“I didn’t authorize this.”
“Your signature says you did.”
“I was in London that day.”
Emily stared at him.
Jonathan immediately called David Chen.
Within 30 minutes, the three of them were inside a secure conference room.
David pulled access logs.
The authorization had come from an executive terminal.
Vanessa’s floor.
But not Vanessa’s office.
“Someone is routing fraudulent payments,” David said.
Jonathan looked at Emily.
“How far back?”
“I don’t know.”
“Find out.”
Emily hesitated.
“You want me investigating this?”
“You found it.”
“I’m an administrative accountant.”
“Tonight you’re the person I trust to follow the numbers.”
The word trust landed differently than either expected.
For 2 weeks, Emily worked secretly with David.
The total reached $2.4 million.
Then $3.1 million.
Eventually, they discovered the shell companies were connected to someone named Marcus Vale.
Emily searched the name.
Her blood turned cold.
Marcus Vale had been CFO of her former accounting firm.
The company that collapsed.
The company whose bankruptcy had cost Emily her job.
She immediately called Jonathan.
“Marcus Vale.”
“What about him?”
“He worked at my old company.”
Silence.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
Jonathan asked her to come upstairs.
When she arrived, Vanessa was already there.
Emily stopped.
Jonathan noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Mr. Vale has consulted for multiple companies. That proves nothing.”
Emily looked at her.
“I didn’t say it proved anything.”
Vanessa’s expression tightened.
Jonathan saw it.
So did Emily.
That night, Emily left Hartwell at 9:20.
Rain had begun.
She opened her umbrella and walked toward the bus stop.
A black sedan pulled alongside her.
The window lowered.
Jonathan.
“Get in.”
Emily stared.
“That sounded disturbingly like a kidnapping.”
“I’m offering you a ride.”
“I take the bus.”
“It’s raining.”
“I own an umbrella.”
He looked at the umbrella.
One metal rib had snapped.
Emily sighed.
“Fine.”
Inside the car, silence lasted several blocks.
Then Jonathan asked, “Why accounting?”
Emily smiled.
“That’s your romantic conversation starter?”
He glanced over.
“Romantic?”
“I meant interesting.”
“Too late.”
For the first time, Jonathan looked genuinely caught off guard.
Emily laughed.
He did too.
The distance between CEO and employee briefly disappeared.
Then Jonathan’s phone rang.
His expression changed when he saw the number.
“Excuse me.”
He answered.
Emily looked through the window.
Then she heard him say, “No. Don’t contact her.”
Pause.
“I said I’ll handle it.”
He ended the call.
Emily did not ask.
Jonathan dropped her near her apartment.
As she climbed out, he said, “Emily.”
She turned.
“Be careful with the investigation.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know who’s involved.”
Emily nodded.
Upstairs, Lily was asleep at the neighbor’s apartment.
Emily carried her home.
As she tucked Lily into bed, she noticed an envelope pushed beneath the apartment door.
No stamp.
No address.
Inside was a photograph.
Emily leaving Hartwell.
On the back were 7 words.
Stop looking at Briar. Think about Lily.
Emily’s hands began to shake.
She called Jonathan.
He answered immediately.
“Emily?”
May you like
She could barely form the words.
“Someone knows where my daughter lives.”
