Chapter 5 - The Fallout and the Promotion
The silence inside the glass office stretched on for nearly a full minute.
Director Vance slowly reached up, pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a long, exhausted sigh that seemed to deflate half the tension in his broad shoulders. He looked up at me, his eyes carrying a complicated mix of shock, embarrassment, and deep, grudging professional respect.
"Well," Richard murmured, clearing his throat and straightening his tie. "It appears I owe you an apology, Julian. And a massive debt of gratitude."
"An apology isn't necessary, Director," I said smoothly, sliding the tablet back into my desk drawer. "Protecting company assets is just part of the job description."
"Protecting company assets and outsmarting an internal embezzlement ring single-handedly is a bit above and beyond normal job descriptions," Richard corrected me, walking over to the window and looking out over the bustling warehouse floor below. "Toby had us all fooled. He was skimming small accounts for six months, and when he realized the annual physical audit was coming up today, he decided to pull off a massive server heist and pin it entirely on you."
"He underestimated the power of digital record-keeping," I replied neutrally.
Richard turned back around, his expression turning sharp and decisive. "The police are en route. We're pressing full criminal charges—grand larceny, corporate conspiracy, and tampering with security systems. He's looking at a minimum of five years in state prison. No bail, no family favors."
He walked back to my desk, resting his palms flat on the wood.
"As for you, Julian... the Vice President of Regional Logistics position has been vacant since Marcus retired last month. I was planning to run an external executive search, but after seeing your forensic auditing capabilities today... I think you're more than qualified to step into the role immediately. A twenty-percent salary bump, executive stock options, and your own private corner office on the top floor."
In my first life, hearing those words had been the prelude to my execution. In this life, hearing them was simply the natural, inevitable reward for a game well played.
"Thank you, Director Vance," I said, standing up and extending my hand across the desk. "I accept. I'll make sure our inventory is ironclad from this day forward."
Richard shook my hand firmly, gave an approving nod, and walked out of the office to handle the police arrival downstairs.
I stood by the window of my glass cube, looking down at the loading dock where two police cruisers were now parked with their emergency lights flashing, their officers walking toward the rear maintenance exit.
May you like
The trap had been set for me, but I had rewritten the code.
And as I watched Toby Miller being led out of the building in heavy steel handcuffs, head bowed and weeping into the cold morning air, I knew that the ghosts of my past life were finally, permanently laid to rest.
