Chapter 1 - The Audit of Destiny
The next morning, the sterile scent of Northwestern Memorial Hospital was replaced by the smell of expensive leather and panic in the executive boardroom of Core Dynamics. Ethan Carter sat at the head of the mahogany table, adjusting his silk tie. He had spent the entire night screaming into his phone because his credit cards had been declined at a restaurant, and his joint account showed a balance of exactly zero.
"Don't worry, Mom," Ethan muttered into his earpiece, ignoring the board members walking into the room. "Madison is just having a psychotic break because of her leg. When she gets home, I'll make sure she signs the account release. She’s nothing without my salary anyway."
Suddenly, the heavy glass doors of the boardroom swung open. Instead of the usual corporate auditors, three men in dark, tailored suits walked in, led by Ms. Vivian Brooks, the formidable CEO of Core Dynamics.
Ethan stood up immediately, putting on his best salesman smile. "Ms. Brooks! What a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you were personally attending our quarterly review."
Vivian Brooks didn't smile. She didn't even offer her hand. She stood at the front of the room, her eyes cold as flint. "This isn't a quarterly review, Mr. Carter. This is an emergency forensic audit of your entire department."
Ethan’s smile faltered. A cold drop of sweat rolled down his spine. "An audit? On whose authority? My numbers are flawless."
"On the authority of the majority shareholder of Apex Vanguard—the parent company that owns Core Dynamics," Vivian stated, snapping her fingers. Her assistant immediately dropped a thick folder in front of Ethan. "Over the last three years, Mr. Carter, you have corporate card expenses totaling $42,000 for 'client dinners' that happen to match the dates of your mother's luxury spa trips. You also approved a dummy consulting contract that funneled $8,000 a month into an account owned by Margaret Carter."
Ethan's face turned a translucent shade of white. "This... this is a misunderstanding! I am the backbone of this regional office! Who is making these false accusations?!"
Vivian Brooks leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. "The owner of Apex Vanguard. The woman who personally approved your promotion three years ago because she thought you were a man of integrity. The woman you left bleeding in a hospital bed yesterday."
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Ethan blinked, his brain refusing to connect the dots. "What? No... that's impossible. My wife is a baker. She makes cupcakes."
"Your wife founded Apex Vanguard when she was twenty-four, Mr. Carter," Vivian whispered, her voice cutting through the silent room like a knife. "And she just revoked your security clearance. Security, escort Mr. Carter out of the building. He is terminated, effective immediately, for corporate fraud."
