Page 73 of His Rules

None of this seemed much of a surprise to him.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“You need to have a full forensics audit done of the books. They will delve into everything. I’d have them use your past audits as a starting point, but also consider going back a couple of years to see if the start of the issues can be determined. Numbers never lie and there’s always a trail no matter how practiced the thief.”

“Yes, very true.”

My recommendation was the only way to determine if money had been stolen. That’s the conclusion I’d come to, although I’d need to dig for weeks to discover if I was right. An auditor and his or her team could likely accomplish the feat in two weeks tops.

“An audit.” He made the statement as if the notion had already dawned on him.

“Yes. It’s been two years. When did business begin to suffer?”

“Just about two years ago.” The corners of his lips began to curl.

“Hire someone you’ve never used before.”

His smile could be considered devious. “I’ll take your advice.”

“Good. I have something to show you that has nothing to do with what we were talking about,” I told him. Why did I feel embarrassed about my drawings? The pencil and paper renditions were damn good if I said so myself.

Instead of working on the job I’d been hired to do, I’d used my talent in art to create a picture of what I thought the interior of a luxury jet liner would look like.

“You do?”

“Yes.” I slipped a folder across his desk, cringing as soon as he opened it.

He pulled two of the papers into the light, scanning first one then the other. “Did you do these?”

“I like to draw when I’m nervous or just for relaxation. So yes.”

“They’re incredible. A vision. And I could clearly see you have costs in mind while keeping the luxury brand.”

I sighed before smiling. I didn’t know why it felt so important for him to like what I’d drawn.

“I just wanted to put some drawings to paper. I know you have designers, but they need to know how to start.”

He looked at me slyly and we both heard a knock on the door a split second before it was opened. Before I glanced over my shoulder to see who’d interrupted us, I noticed Sebastian didn’t bother hiding the drawings. He was in a bold mood.

“Ms. Taylor. Good to see you.” Drake was smirking as he sauntered closer. “How are you taking to your employment here with us?”

“It certainly has its challenges.”

His smirk pissed me off. “I bet it does. We’re glad to have you. Just don’t let the man keep you too late. He has a tendency of working until midnight.”

“I think I can handle it. This company deserves the time,” I told him and could tell he didn’t like that I’d stepped up for myself.

“Yes, I’m certain you can. I’m heading out, Sebastian. I have a date for a change.”

“You always have a date,” Sebastian said coolly.

“Yes, I guess I do. You should try it sometime.” It was as if Drake was purposely trying to push his partner into saying something or getting into an argument. I couldn’t tell which.

“Do you need something, Drake?” my boss asked.

“We should talk tomorrow. I have a few things to go over.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be at the office early. We’ll catch up. I have a few things for you as well.”

---