Chapter 45 45 Chapter 45 - Bitter Truth Morris's POV I dragged myself to work with a splitting headache from last night's drinking binge. My mood was foul, and I couldn't focus on anything. Throughout the day, Paula, Harris, Darren, and Jason had been relentlessly defending Monica. They insisted she couldn't possibly have sent those emails or betrayed my trust. They kept scolding me for not giving her a chance to explain herself, and now they were anxiously awaiting the audit results to reveal the truth. Paula had taken it upon herself to retrieve the documents from the finance department that were supposedly under verification. When she went there, Eddie called me in a rage, spewing nonsense that I was too exhausted to process. I simply told him to surrender everything to Paula if he valued his position. After collecting the documents, Paula delivered them to the auditors. I told Harris it was a waste of time-the documents were there, Eddie had handed them over, so clearly Irina wasn't the leak. Harris cautioned me that since he already possessed copies of everything, comparing them would be wise. He promised to inform me today if they matched, but so far, he'd remained silent. Irina hovered around me all day, bringing coffee, snacks when I skipped lunch, always finding some excuse to check on me. She seemed genuinely concerned about my well-being. Gordon Linus, the hacker Harris had hired, was still working to recover footage from the damaged camera in my advisory office, but hadn't reported any findings yet. This whole situation was driving me insane. But the truth was, I was going crazy without Monica! Mid-afternoon, Paula entered my office, shut the door behind her, and approached my desk. She leaned in close and whispered, "You need to come with me for coffee right now. Everyone's waiting for us." I stared at her, surprised. If they wanted to meet outside the company, they must have discovered something significant-and it wasn't against Monica. I rose quickly and followed her out. I informed Irina I was stepping out with Paula but wouldn't be long. When we arrived at the coffee shop, the others were already seated and waiting. I slumped into a chair and ordered a coffee. "What's going on?" I demanded gruffly. Harris exchanged glances with everyone before taking charge. "Morris, you made a terrible mistake. Monica didn't leak any information, he stated firmly, sliding a folder across the table. "Here's my report. The documents Paula obtained from Eddie were forged; they don't match the coples we made on Saturday. Just from examining these C 45 Chapter 45- Bitter Truth o verify everything. papers, we can see how the embezzlement is happening. It will take time but the amount is substantial. And I can confirm that whoever altered these documents did it after Paula and Darren set their trap. After Paula told me about their plan, I asked our floor's 'coffee lady' to make copies before any changes were made. I flipped through the folder, examining the report and document comparisons. I was stunned. My secretary, loyal to the company for fifteen years, had betrayed me in such a despicable manner. Before I could process this, Gordon spoke up. "Mr. Lorenzo, I managed to salvage a detail from the camera footage in Miss Hayes's office. It's a single frame that passes so quickly it's nearly impossible to detect normally, but I slowed the video down and isolated the frame, he explained, turning his laptop toward me. "Security has already replaced the equipment. Could you verify if you recognize the shoe in this image? It's the only visible element from last Monday's footage. Remember, the cameras weren't installed the week prior." One look at the image and I knew immediately-low, thick heels, not Monica's style at all. I asked Gordon to pull up the footage from my secretary's office during the same timeframe. The evidence was damning: Irina was entering Monica's office, looking around suspiciously. When Gordon zoomed in on the shoe, it clearly belonged to Irina. Then it hit me-at that exact moment, Monica was in my office, and I was kissing her. I was a complete idiot. I had humiliated the woman I loved and been played for a fool by my secretary. My head spun, my eyes burned, my throat dried up. Monica would never forgive me! I looked around the table, everyone waiting for my reaction. I cleared my throat and admitted, "I was definitely a complete jerk!" "Yeah, you were," Darren confirmed bluntly. "We haven't identified who's receiving the messages yet. But you know where they're coming from," Harris advised. "If you want my opinion, keep your enemies close. It's not time to expose your secretary. The new coffee lady has been instructed to befriend her. Maybe that way we'll get the information we need." "Harris's right. Firing Irina now would alert her accomplice, Paula added. "So you're suggesting I return and pretend nothing's changed? How can I bring Monica back without clearing this mess?" I asked, feeling utterly lost. "Bro, Monica is working with Louis now. Started today. And I doubt she'll return easily, Darren said, deflating my hopes. "She's more hurt than we realized." He handed me another folder. "What's this?" I opened it and felt my heart sink. "She signed the resignation papers and refused the check?" "According to our messenger, while signing, she stated she didn't want a cent from this company" Darren explained worriedly. 24 45 Chapter 45- Bitter Truth "What is she thinking? Doesn't she consider her son? The money she might need?" I was baffled. "If she refused payment for her work, earning her forgiveness will be impossible." "Morris, Monica is a woman of tremendous integrity. You'll need to work hard for her forgiveness. She won't make it easy, Harris warned seriously. "So what do I do?" I felt helpless and terrified that Monica might never forgive me. "Maintain appearances, pursue Monica, and beg for forgiveness. When the time comes, we'll fire Irina and bring Monica back" Paula stated confidently. I agreed with their strategy but refused to waste any time. I would seek Monica out today and have a serious conversation with Louis about maintaining professional boundaries with her. "Meanwhile, we'll test the loyalty of other presidential staff members, Harris added. "It's just the coffee lady and cleaning staff, Harris," I said, questioning the necessity. "They see and hear everything. Better safe than sorry," Harris emphasized. "Fair point," I replied, rubbing my face. I was exhausted, sleeping poorly, and now feeling wretched about my treatment of Monica. "What about our infiltration strategy?" I asked, realizing I'd neglected audit matters since Monday. "We've placed a janitor and coffee server on each floor. The janitor brings office trash to audit, which has been revealing. By Friday, we'll have infiltrated every department. Malcolm is cooperating fully, placing employees discreetly," Jason assured me. "Anything else I should know right now?" I asked, and everyone shook their heads. "Then let's head back, Paula. I don't want my 'efficient' secretary getting suspicious," I concluded with a cold. smile. Comment " In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. As their romance blossoms, Hector grapples with concealing his true identity to capture Jane's heart. However, their love story takes a tumultuous turn when jealousy rears its ugly head, threatening to unravel the delicate balance they've built. 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