“Alan,” I said firmly, knowing the look in his eye meant it was bad.
“Millions,” he said, his voice lowering.
“Millions total?” I said slowly. “Or…” I didn’t even want to think about the second option.
“Millions each quarter,” he said, chewing the inside of his cheek nervously and affirming the worst-case scenario.
“Who is doing this?”
“That’s the problem…”
“You don’t know?” I asked incredulously.
“The numbers change each time. There’s no way of easily tracking them to one person. Off-shore accounts are a different kind of headache compared to ours here in the states.”
“Jesus Christ,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes.
“Whoever is doing this knows what they’re doing, or someone has turned a blind eye to their dealings,” said Alan.
“Alan.” I narrowed my gaze. “I need you to keep this quiet. Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
“And keep looking,” I said dismissively. I didn’t think I could stomach any more bad news or nauseating dollar signs with the zeros that followed,
Alan took my cue, and gathered his papers. He closed his briefcase and slipped out the door. After he had shut it behind him, I slammed a fist on my desk, scattering its contents. I had just opened a hell storm that, if it was as bad as Alan made it out to be, would require a full-on investigation. It would be a huge scandal that the press would catch wind of and run with, creating an even bigger headache.
Almost, I wished I hadn’t hired my accounting team. Ignorance was bliss, right? But now I knew, and I had to decide how to proceed. This kind of secret could ruin a company. End it entirely. It would ruinmeas the new CEO. I couldn’t go down with the ship, not after everything I had worked toward.
I would quit before I let that happen. My accounting team already had NDAs in place. No one would ever know the real reason as to why I would leave such a prominent position. It wouldn’t look good for me, but I would bounce back. I’d find something new, and leave this shitstorm behind for someone else to figure out.
I wondered if that person would be Gabriella, who was so desperate to get her hands on the position that her father had supposedly promised her. It didn’t feel right to put this on her. Nor did it feel right turning my back on Mr. Harold and his legacy. I hated the twinge of guilt I felt for even thinking about it.
I cared more about Mr. Harold than I would like to admit. He had been nothing but good to me. He had put his faith in me, and fully supported my choices with his empire that was like a child to him. To know someone was hiding in plain sight here in this office, and getting away with stealing large sums of money, pissed me off.
And I also cared more about Gabriella than I would like to admit. Though we were on the outs and I was determined to push her away for her own good, she had opened up to me about how much this company meant to her. I could see it in the way she spoke to the employees. In the way she cared about them. Someone here had taken that kindness and betrayed her, and she had no idea.
This was exactly the reason why I didn’t trust people. It was better to keep them at arm's length or make them fear you because you never knew anyone’s true motives or intentions. Someone out there would always try to fuck you over, especially when it came to money.
I had to get to the bottom of this, not just to save the company and my ass, but to make sure the Harold name wasn’t tarnished. I almost wished Gabriella was here to help me. She would know better than anyone who might do something like this, but her life was stressful enough right now. Plus, her emotions might get the best of her and she might do something stupid.
Right now, I needed to be smart because whoever was doing this knew what they were doing. But I didn’t plan on letting them get away with it much longer. Not on my watch.
Chapter 31
Gabriella
Pick up dry cleaning.
I rolled my eyes at my phone, reading Chandler’s demand. Did he ever say please? I ignored his text, and got back to the email on my laptop. I was posted up in my pajamas on my couch, my usual spot in my living room that was now my makeshift office. I was on my second week of working from home and I was still loving it.
My refrigerator was full of snacks that I had been craving, from the predictable pickles to kiwis with the peel, which was a new one for me. I got to lounge in comfortable, stretchy clothes all day. While it was too early for a bump, I was so bloated that I may as well have been showing. I didn’t want to wear anything besides my matching pajama sets.
The downfall was I still had to deal with Chandler, but it was a hell of a lot better than seeing him face-to-face in the office. My phone buzzed again, as if he could hear my thoughts. I picked up my phone and read his text.
Chandler:You still haven’t cleared my spam folder.
A few seconds later.
