And the strange thing is, I do know. Despite everything I’ve learned, despite understanding exactly what kind of man I married, I believe him.
We’re going to be okay.
Even if okay looks nothing like what I thought my life would be.
26
LEDGER
The numbers don’t lie.
I stare at the spreadsheet on my laptop, comparing shipment manifests against distribution reports. Twenty kilos of product missing over the past six weeks. Small enough amounts each time that it wouldn’t trigger immediate suspicion.
Too bad for whoever’s stealing from me, I’m smarter.
“Silas.” I don’t look up from the screen. “Get in here.”
He appears in my office doorway within seconds. “Boss?”
“We have a rat.” I turn the laptop toward him. “Someone’s skimming product and selling it independently. They started small and got greedy.”
Silas studies the numbers, his jaw tightening. “You know who?”
“Tommy Greco. Warehouse supervisor. Has access to inventory counts and distribution schedules. Been with us for three years, so he thought he’d earned enough trust to get away with it.”
“Want me to bring him in?”
“No.” I close the laptop. “I’ll handle this one personally. Set it up for tonight at the warehouse on Flamingo and make it look like a standard inventory audit.”
“You sure you want to do this yourself? I can?—”
“I’m sure.” I stand and grab my jacket. “And tell Pedro to have the car ready. Savannah’s coming with me.”
Silas blinks. “Boss, this isn’t exactly?—”
“I know what it is.”
He hesitates, then nods. “Understood. I’ll have everything ready by eight.”
After he leaves, I sit back down and pull out my phone. Text Savannah:Business meeting tonight. Wear something professional. Picking you up at 7:30.
Her response comes immediately:What kind of meeting?
Inventory audit. Nothing exciting. But I need you there.
Okay. See you then.
I pocket my phone and return to the spreadsheet. Tommy Greco has stolen from me, from my organization, and from the empire I’ve built over decades. That kind of disrespect can’t go unanswered.
Not because I’m cruel, but because I’m practical. Let one person steal without consequences, and suddenly everyone thinks they can take what’s mine. The structure collapses.
Savannah is waiting downstairs when I arrive at 7:30 PM. She’s wearing black pants and a silk blouse that shows her bump clearly. Her hair is pulled back, and she looks every inch the businesswoman.
She slides into the back seat beside me. “So what’s this inventory audit about?”
“Routine check on one of our distribution centers.” I take her hand. “We’ve had some discrepancies in the numbers. I want to see the operation firsthand.”
“And you need me there because…?”
