Jax
[Flashback]
The text came in at 3:28.
Arthur:Jax, My office.
Jax read it once. Twice. Arthur Vance didn't send texts like that.
Interesting.
He closed his laptop, disconnected it, and headed out.
The executive floor of Blackwood & Co was dark and silent. Killian was in the board meeting three doors down. Chad had left his office once Arthur has finished his audit and was checking random closets with his badge looking for snacks. Which meant when Jax arrived on the executive floor it was empty except for Arthur Vance, CFO, sitting at his desk under a single lamp like a man preparing to deliver a verdict.
"Vance," Jax said.
"Sit."
Jax sat. Set his laptop on the pristine desk. One leg started bouncing immediately.
Every pen perpendicular. Every folder flush. Even the air felt alphabetized. His hand drifted toward the pen cup. Arthur's eyes moved. Jax redirected his hand through his hair like that had always been the plan, flashing Arthur a sheepish grin.
"You showed April something today," Arthur said. Not a question.
"I showed her Chad's been trying to hack her accounts. And that he's a walking compliance disaster." Jax's fingers drummed on his laptop. "You already know that though. Or you wouldn’t have called me. "
Arthur opened a folder on his desk and slid it across. It contained printed spreadsheets. Expense reports. Policy violations highlighted in yellow.
Jax was already leaning forward, scanning before the folder stopped moving.
"I flagged inconsistencies three months ago," Arthur said. "Expense irregularities. Unapproved charges. Missing documentation."
"You reported this?"
"To HR. Standard escalation protocol."
"What happened?"
"Closed. Marked resolved." Arthur's tone didn't change, but a cold flicker crossed his eyes.
Jax's drumming slowed.
Yeah. There it is.
"And today there was reason," Jax said. "Today April asked me to make sure things don't disappear."
"I learned you've been auditing Chad. What do you have?"
Jax's opened his laptop and spun it around. The Chad Dashboard filled the screen.
Arthur stared at it for three full seconds.
"How long?" Arthur asked.
" 246 days."
"Reports filed?"
