Chapter 3 - The Audit
By Thursday morning, the corporate bloodbath at Marcus’s firm was in full swing.
Marcus had flown back to Chicago on a red-eye, leaving Maya to fend for herself. He showed up at his office at 7:00 AM, hoping to do damage control before the board arrived.
His keycard flashed red. Access Denied.
A security guard he had known for three years stepped out of the glass-walled lobby. “Sorry, Mr. Vance. I have orders not to let you up. Human Resources is coming down to meet you.”
Ten minutes later, the head of HR, a stern woman named Beatrice, handed Marcus a thick manila envelope right there in the lobby.
“You are being placed on unpaid administrative leave pending a full forensic audit of your travel expenses, Marcus,” Beatrice said coldly. “We pulled the receipts for the Dallas trip you were supposed to be on yesterday. You expensed a five-star hotel in Phoenix under a corporate client code.”
“Beatrice, I can reimburse the firm! It was a clerical error,” Marcus lied, his voice cracking.
“It’s not just Phoenix. It’s Miami. It’s Aspen. You’ve expensed over $85,000 in unauthorized travel and luxury goods for Maya under the guise of client entertainment,” Beatrice countered, adjusting her glasses. “Richard Sterling is furious. Not only did you commit corporate fraud, but you cost us the Vanguard PR deal. Maya has already been terminated. You are likely next.”
Marcus stumbled out onto the Chicago pavement, the wind whipping off Lake Michigan feeling like a slap to the face. He pulled out his phone to call his lawyer, but when he opened his banking app to check his retainer funds, he saw the balance on his primary checking account.
It was zero.
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The joint savings had been halved. His credit cards were declining. Elena hadn't just caught him; she had systematically dismantled his safety net while they were still 35,000 feet in the air.
He hailed a cab, realizing with a sick feeling in his stomach that he didn't even have the cash to pay the fare. He had to use a personal debit card that barely had two hundred dollars to its name. He needed to get to the penthouse. He needed to talk to Elena. He needed to beg.
