The morning sun streamed through Avery's office windows as he pored over the IT report Maya had compiled. Every line of code, every timestamp, every digital fingerprint pointed to one person: Marcus Webb. But something didn't add up—spoofing an executive's email and forging digital signatures required access to systems far beyond what a marketing director should have.
"Lost in thought again, audit boy?"
Avery looked up to find Eric leaning against the doorframe, Charlotte just behind him carrying a large coffee and a stack of blueprints.
"Could you not call me that in front of my team?" Avery said, though there was no real bite to his words.
"Sorry, sorry—Mr. Head of Auditing Extraordinaire." Eric grinned, moving to drop a folder on Avery's desk. "Charlotte found something in the construction permits—looks like Veridian Solutions listed the same address as a shell company Webb's brother used five years ago."
Charlotte set the coffee down in front of Avery—black, exactly how he liked it. "I also pulled the bidding records from when we won the Orion contract. Webb Construction had the lowest bid, but we got the project because our design was more sustainable. They filed an appeal that got rejected two weeks before Marcus joined Stellar Crest."
"Interesting timing." Avery took a sip of coffee, then frowned. "This is from the café three blocks away. How did you know—"
"Let's just say I've been asking around." She smiled, and Avery noticed the way her green eyes lit up when she looked at him. "Plus, Maya mentioned you refuse to drink the office coffee because you say it tastes like 'burnt cardboard mixed with regret.'"
Avery nodded his thanks and turned back to his screen, his attention already returning to the data. He didn't register the way she lingered for a moment, or how her fingers brushed lightly against the edge of his desk before she moved to sit across from him. Eric, however, noticed everything—he shot Avery a knowing look and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Focus," Avery muttered, tapping his silver pen against the desk. "Charlotte, you said you had blueprints to show me?"
"Right." She spread them out across his desk, leaning forward to point at a section of the development. "See this? The smart grid infrastructure—we've got fiber optic cables running through every building. But according to the invoices from Veridian, they supplied us with copper wiring instead. If that's true, the entire system will fail within six months."
"Which would cost the company hundreds of millions in repairs." Avery made a note in his notebook. "Did you receive the materials yourself?"
"No—they were delivered directly to the site while I was out of town for a conference. Marcus signed for them."
"Of course he did." Eric flopped down on the couch in the corner of the office. "So Webb sets us up with fake materials, falsifies the paperwork to make it look like Eric did it, and then tips off the SEC to cover his tracks. Seems pretty cut and dry."
"Too cut and dry." Avery stood and walked to the window, looking down at the city below. "Webb has the motive, but does he have the means? Someone had to approve the transfer of funds—his authorization level wouldn't be high enough."
Charlotte stood too, moving to stand beside him—close enough that he could smell the faint scent of cedar and honey from her hair. "What if he had help? Someone higher up who wanted Orion to fail."
"Like Hayes?" Eric asked from the couch. "But why would he sabotage his own company's biggest project?"
"Maybe he's not the one benefiting." Avery turned away from the window, his mind racing. "If Orion fails, Stellar Crest's stock will drop. Someone who shorted our stock could make a fortune."
"Or someone who wants to buy us out at a discount." Charlotte's voice was thoughtful. "There's been talk of a merger with Global Tech Solutions for months now."
Avery's phone buzzed. Maya's name appeared on the screen.
"Boss," she said urgently. "I just got access to Hayes's personal financial records. He's been transferring large sums to an account in Switzerland—same bank as the Veridian offshore fund."
"Okay, new plan," Eric said as they hurried toward the elevator. "We take what we have to the board—prove Webb did the dirty work, Hayes was in on it, and clear my name."
"Not yet." Avery pressed the button for the thirtieth floor—the executive suite. "We need to be sure. If we go to the board without solid proof, Hayes will have time to cover his tracks."
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out into the sleek, quiet executive floor. Charlotte walked a step closer to Avery, her hand brushing against his arm for just a moment.
"I know this is a lot," she said softly. "But you're handling it really well. Most people would be panicking."
Avery pulled his arm away slightly, adjusting his suit jacket as he focused on the hallway ahead. "I prefer to focus on facts rather than emotions. They're more reliable."
Behind them, Eric suppressed a laugh. "Facts are reliable, sure. But they're also not nearly as fun as, say, noticing when a gorgeous engineer has been bringing you coffee every morning just to spend five minutes with you."
Charlotte's cheeks flushed pink, but she stood her ground. "He's not wrong—I do think you're impressive, Avery. And I enjoy working with you."
Avery just kept walking toward Hayes's office. "This isn't the time for personal conversations. We have a company to protect."
They reached Hayes's office to find the door slightly ajar. Through the crack, they could hear him talking on the phone.
"…yes, once Orion collapses, Global Tech will buy us out at pennies on the dollar… Webb did exactly what we paid him to do… no, Cole won't find anything—he's too focused on following the rules to see the bigger picture…"
Avery pushed the door open without knocking. Hayes spun around, his face pale as he fumbled to end the call.
"Cole! Martinez! What are you doing up here?"
"Looks like we caught you red-handed," Eric said, moving forward. "Setting up your own company to fail so you could make a fortune off the merger."
Hayes stood, straightening his suit jacket with trembling hands. "You have no proof—"
"Actually, we do." Avery pulled out his phone and played Maya's message detailing the Swiss bank account transfers. "We also have evidence that you authorized the payments to Veridian, and that you instructed Webb to forge Eric's signature on the documents."
"You can't prove any of this," Hayes said, though his voice lacked conviction. "I'm the CEO—no one will believe you over me."
"Try us." Charlotte stepped forward, pulling out her own phone. "I have testimony from three construction workers who say Webb told them he was 'making sure Orion never saw the light of day.' Plus, I have emails between you and the CEO of Global Tech discussing the merger terms—dated six months before Webb was even hired."
Hayes sank into his chair, defeat crossing his face. "How… how did you find all this?"
"Because you underestimated us," Avery said, his voice steady and clear. "You thought I'd be too rigid to look beyond the obvious, that Eric would be too laid-back to fight back, and that Charlotte would be too focused on the project to notice what was happening around her."
He pulled out his silver pen and made a note in his notebook. "You were wrong on all counts."
An hour later, they sat in the company cafeteria—Eric with a cheeseburger, Charlotte with a salad, and Avery with a cup of tea he'd made himself.
"So," Eric said, taking a huge bite of his burger. "Now that we've saved the company, cleared my name, and probably got Hayes thrown in jail… can we talk about how Charlotte has been bringing you coffee and looking at you like you're the last piece of chocolate cake on earth?"
"Eric!" Charlotte's cheeks were bright red, but she laughed despite herself.
"It's not relevant to the project," Avery said, stirring his tea with precise movements. "She's a competent engineer, and I appreciate her contributions. That's all."
"All?" Eric leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Come on, man. I saw you hold the door for her this morning. You never hold doors for anyone—you just walk through and let them close."
"I held it because she was carrying three binders and a hard hat," Avery said matter-of-fact. "It was a matter of efficiency, not… anything else."
Charlotte set down her fork and looked directly at Avery. "It's okay, really. I know you're focused on your work, and that's fine. I just think… maybe one day you'll see that there's more to life than spreadsheets and timelines."
She stood up, gathering her things. "I'll see you both tomorrow. We've got a lot to do to get ready for groundbreaking next week.
As she walked away, Eric nudged Avery with his elbow. "You know she's perfect for you, right? Smart, can handle herself, doesn't let you get away with being a snob."
Avery picked up his tea cup, his eyes already on the stack of reports beside him. "She's a valuable member of the team. That's what matters."
Eric grinned, finishing his burger. "Sure, sure. 'Valuable team member.' I'll remember that when she's designing your office space after you finally realize what you're missing."
Avery didn't respond, already pulling out his silver pen to make notes on the revised Orion timeline. He registered that Charlotte had left her water bottle on the table—but rather than think about it as anything more than an oversight, he simply set it aside to return to her later. Facts and efficiency. That was how he operated, and he saw no reason to change now.