The delay surfaced during a routine review.
No one announced it. No one reacted to it immediately. It appeared as a single line in the progress report, marked pending.
Most people skimmed past. Even seasoned managers and executives dismissed it. No one lingered on the line long enough for concern to settle.
"Just a regulatory backlog. It happens," they said.
But not for Arianne.
She didn't comment. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, scanning the timeline rather than the summary.
Arianne's fingers stilled against the edge of the table. The conversation continued for a beat longer before she spoke.
"How long has it been there?" she asked.
Her question immediately stalled the conversation.
A manager glanced back at the report, suddenly unsure if he'd missed something.
"Four days," he answered.
"And before that?" Arianne asked, her gaze steady.
There was a brief silence as someone scrolled through the audit report.
