Ethan;
"Don't just stand there. Come do your job." He says, and I jump a bit before taking panicked steps around the table and standing beside him, not knowing exactly what my job is…
He suddenly stands up, and my heart leaps.
He stares at me for just a second before brushing past me, and I swallow shakily.
"We have a meeting to attend." He says as he walks, and I follow.
I expect him to walk towards the door I just walked through, but instead, he walks towards one on the side that I thought led to a restroom.
He opens it, and my eyes widen when I see a conference room packed full with men and women in different dark colored suits, sitting around a long, glass table.
They all stand up as he walks in, and I'm in awe.
The meeting couldn't possibly have been delayed because of me. Right?? Not a single person is missing, and Zane said...
I need to get out of my head.
Why the fuck would they delay a meeting because of me?
Who am I??
They all bow as Alpha Aurelian walks by, and I watch as he moves to the head of the table.
I follow timidly behind him, clutching my tablet to my chest, and leaving my gaze on the floor as it feels like everyone is subtly watching me.
Only after he takes his seat at the head of the table do the others sit, and I just stand beside him. Hand trembling, and sweat trickling down my back, into the band of my pants.
These people all have tablets glowing softly in front of them, and staring at them, I instantly recognise the posture.
Confident, polished, and poised.
These are the kind of people who speak in percentages and shares. People whose voices demand respect and approval. Now, I find myself wondering where and how I fit into all this.
Alpha Aurelian lifts a hand, like a king permitting his court to perform, and just then, a man to his right speaks.
"Alpha Aurelian, as established earlier, our Q2 performance exceeded projections by twelve percent," the man says smoothly, tapping his tablet, and just then, a graph fills the screen on the other end of the room.
Green arrows. Upward lines. Smiling numbers... a healthy performance graph.
Heads nod around the room, and I keep my gaze on the screen, trying to figure out what I'm looking at.
"Our expenses dropped after restructuring, and profits remain strong across all divisions." The man continues, and my head subconsiously tilts... As though looking at these tables from another angle will make them make sense.
I may not have touched an accounting book in years... but I can tell that... something is… wrong with the tables being presented.
It's not obvious, it's not loud… It's a quiet type of wrong.
The kind that keeps tugging at your mind repeatedly in that infuriating manner that's hard to ignore.
At first glance, everything looks perfect.
Too perfect.
The company made more money, spent less money, and ended the quarter stronger than expected.
Everything looks like any company's dream... until I notice when the money is being counted. Not how, but when.
Some of the income they're celebrating hasn't actually arrived yet.
It's money they expect to receive later… but they're presenting it like it's already here.
Some of the revenue from the medical line expansion is being recognised this quarter… but the receivables aren't due until late next quarter.
That alone doesn't really bother me, but then the next slide pops up, and I see what else has been doctored.
Some of the costs that should be counted now have quietly been pushed away. Moved out of sight... Made to look like they've already been taken care of… This is manufactured.
My stomach twists as I stare at the screen, and my grip on my tablet tightens harder.
Why the fuck did I have to notice a scam on my first day!??
Well... they didn't exactly lie with this report. They just… rearranged.
They made this quarter look better by borrowing from the future and hiding the present.
It's not illegal, not obvious… Just… misleading. Carefully painted deception.
I take a deep, shaky breath, and the man continues speaking with confidence dripping from every word.
"And with results like this, we recommend moving forward with the acquisition." He says, and my brow lifts.
The acquisition??
Is he... Am I the only one who can fucking see this!?
If Alpha Aurelian agrees to this, he's making a decision based on a picture that isn't real yet.
If things don't go as planned, the company could take a hit later.
A VERY bad one.
I glance at him and find his gaze also glued to the screen.
He's listening silently, and it makes me wonder… Does he see it too?
Surely, he does. He's smart.
If half the things Anu said about him are true… he has to be able to see this.
But then again, this is subtle. Designed to slide past even the sharpest eyes.
I shift nervously as I stare back at the screen. If things go wrong, we're looking at millions down the drain.
But then... I shouldn't speak.
I'm new. A nobody... I'm the assistant who slept in on his first day.
I shouldn't make enemies on my first day here. But if I stay silent and things go wrong, the guilt would kill me!!
My throat feels dry.
If I'm wrong, I'll look arrogant. If I'm right and stay quiet, this goes through.
If it goes through and flops, Alpha Aurelian might think I was the wrong choice to employ as his assistant… After all, my graduating CGPA from accounting is probably the reason they employed me.
My chest tightens painfully.
If Anu were here, what would she do?
That crazy woman would have spoken up the very instant she noticed something wrong. She'd have chewed through the entire room if it would ensure the right thing was done.
Argh!!
Before my fear can stop it, my hand shoots up.
The room goes quiet, and every head turns to me. Including his.
His silver eyes lock onto me, sharp and assessing, and I hold my breath.
"I—" My voice comes out thinner than I want. I clear my throat.
"I'm sorry. I know I wasn't asked to speak." I begin, but pause again to calm myself.
The man presenting frowns, but I ignore him.
"This is an executive meeting," he snaps, and I blink, stunned. Why is he being so aggressive?
"If you have questions, direct them to your supervisor after—" He begins, but I cut him off.
"They're making the company look stronger right now by using money that hasn't come in yet," I say quickly. "And by hiding some of the costs," I add, and the silence that was already in the room deepens.
"That's not true," the man snaps. "Those figures were approved." He rages, and I let out a breath.
"I'm not saying they weren't approved," I reply, heart pounding. "I'm saying they don't show the full risk. If you move forward like this, the future looks safer than it actually is." I add frantically, and someone scoffs.
"That's enough. Who do you think you are?" The man begins, and my heart drops.
Yeah... maybe I shouldn't have said anything…
"Enough."
The single word slices through the room.
Calm. Cold. Absolute.
It was Alpha Aurelian.
I turn to him with stunned eyes, and I find that he's looking at me.
"Let him finish." He orders, giving me room to speak, and every sound dies.