His smile disappeared

His smile disappeared.

Tiny reaction.

But I saw it.

Inside, I spread the paperwork across Leo’s conference table.

“Fuel consumption is twenty-one percent above projected weight.”

Leo studied the figures.

“Who approved Naples?”

I turned the page.

Dominic.

Behind me, the door opened.

“You lying little—”

Dominic stopped himself.

Too late.

Leo looked up.

“You knew she was in here?”

Dominic said nothing.

That was answer number one.

Then his phone buzzed.

On the screen, visible for half a second, was a message.

MOVE THE LAST SHIPMENT TONIGHT.

I saw it.

Leo saw me see it.

Dominic saw both of us.

And suddenly nobody in that room was pretending anymore.

PART 5: Dominic grabbed me, expecting the frightened girl from Northside

Dominic lunged.

His arm locked around mine.

A handgun appeared from inside his jacket.

The room changed instantly.

Leo went completely still.

“Let her go.”

Dominic dragged me backward.

“I’m walking out.”

My heart hammered.

But I didn’t freeze.

Not anymore.

I looked down.

Dominic wore polished Italian shoes.

I wore three-inch heels.

Useful information.

Leo’s eyes met mine.

I shifted my weight.

Then I drove my heel down onto Dominic’s foot.

Hard.

He shouted.

His grip loosened.

I twisted free.

Arthur and two security men hit him before he recovered.

The gun skidded beneath the conference table.

Thirty seconds later, Dominic was facedown on the carpet with his wrists restrained.

Leo approached me.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.”

Blood spotted my blouse.

I looked down.

“Okay. Slight correction.”

His face went white with fury.

“Hospital.”

“It’s a scratch.”

“Hospital.”

“You’re very annoying when scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Your left hand is shaking.”

He looked down.

It was.

So was mine.

Boston police arrived twelve minutes later.

Not Leo’s people.

Actual police.

Because I had insisted Apex security call them.

Dominic screamed threats while officers walked him through the lobby.

Employees watched.

Phones came out.

By midnight, everyone knew.

The untouchable lieutenant had been arrested because the “spreadsheet girl” caught him.

And his phone was about to make things much worse.

PART 6: Dominic’s messages connected Richard to the entire scheme

Rebecca called me at 6:14 the next morning.

“Sit down.”

I was already sitting in a hospital cafeteria eating a terrible blueberry muffin while Leo argued with a doctor about whether my two stitches required overnight observation.

“What happened?”

“Dominic’s attorneys contacted us.”

“And?”

“They want a deal.”

I glanced at Leo.

His expression became stone.

Rebecca continued.

“Richard Davies wasn’t acting alone.”

My stomach tightened.

Dominic had paid Richard to manipulate Northside invoices.

Richard used my credentials because I handled the cleanest accounts.

If auditors noticed the missing money, everything pointed toward me.

The harassment had been useful.

If I complained, Richard planned to call me unstable.

Vindictive.

A rejected employee inventing allegations.

There were texts.

Lots of them.

One from Richard made my skin crawl.

Keep pushing her. She’ll quit eventually.

Another:

If she talks, say she came onto me first.

I stared at the screen.

Leo quietly asked, “What do you want done?”

Six weeks earlier, I might have said I didn’t know.

Now I did.

“Everything copied.”

Rebecca paused.

“Everything?”

“Texts. Camera footage. Financial records. Badge logs.”

I looked at Leo.

“And send it through the lawyers.”

His jaw flexed.

“You’re taking all the fun out of my profession.”

“You hired a logistics director.”

“Unfortunately.”

I smiled.

“Then let me deliver the package.”

PART 7: Richard returned arrogant and left in handcuffs before lunch

Richard came to Northside on Friday to collect “personal property.”

That was his excuse.

Really, he expected everyone to still be afraid of him.

I was waiting in the conference room with Rebecca.

Two company attorneys sat beside us.

So did an insurance investigator.

Richard walked in wearing a navy suit and that disgusting pine cologne.

He looked at me.

“Well. Look who found herself a rich boyfriend.”

I said nothing.

He sat.