Page 30 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

The file opens, and my eyes scan through it. At first glance, it’s standard documentation from the financial department—the department Frank oversees. A collection of budgets, allocations, and approvals, all with my signature at the bottom. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that raises an immediate red flag.

But as I dig deeper, something changes. The details start to form a picture I wasn’t expecting. My eyes narrow as I come across the first set of anomalies—transactions that seem off. Transfers of company money to personal accounts. My stomach tightens as I scroll further, my eyes catching on the name associated with these accounts.

Frank.

The travel budget, the security budget, even funds from the Asian project—he’s been siphoning money out of all of it.Transactions disguised as legitimate expenses, but the paper trail is damning.

This is theft.

A hot wave of anger washes over me, sharp and searing. My hands grip the edge of the desk as the realization fully sets in. Frank, with all his smugness and arrogance, has been lining his pockets at the expense of the company. At the expense ofmycompany.

I take a moment to cross-reference the numbers, matching the file against our current expenditure records. It’s all accurate. Every single discrepancy matches the figures in the report. There’s no doubt—Frank has been skimming off the top for who knows how long.

My chest tightens, my breath quickening as the weight of it all hits me. It’s not just about the money. It’s about the betrayal, the audacity of him, throwing cheap shots at Alex, all while stealing from the company under my nose.

I move with purpose, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I draft an email to the board members. No hesitation. No second-guessing.

Subject: Emergency Board Meeting

Time: 12:00 PM

Attendance: Mandatory

The message is short and to the point. There’s no room for misinterpretation—everyone needs to be there.

As I hit “Send,” a new wave of resolve steadies me. Frank’s games end today.

12pm arrives in a flash.

The boardroom is alive with murmurs when I step in, the sound bouncing off the polished oak table and the sleek, modern walls. Every head turns my way, the conversations quieting as my heelsclick sharply against the floor. I can feel their gazes. It doesn’t bother me. If anything, it fuels me. I am the power in this room, and today, they’ll all know it.

Frank is already seated, of course. He’s sprawled back in his chair, one arm draped casually over the side, his other hand tracing lazy circles on the surface of the table.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” I say, my voice crisp as I take my seat.

“Good afternoon, Katherine,” comes the chorus of responses, Frank’s voice obnoxiously loud among them. He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “This is quite the surprise. What’s so urgent?”

I meet his gaze, keeping my expression cool and composed. “I have some questions for you, Frank.”

“Questions? About what?”

“About the company finances,” I reply smoothly, letting my words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. “Specifically, some discrepancies I’ve noticed in recent reports.”

The room grows colder, heavier. Frank’s features are washed by a flicker of uncertainty. “Discrepancies? I’m not sure I follow.”

I lean forward, locking my hands together on the table. “Let me make it simple for you. I’m talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars—company funds—that you’ve been diverting into your personal accounts.”

The reaction is instantaneous. Gasps ripple around the room, and all eyes snap to Frank. His skin pales, his fingers twitching against the table as though scrambling for something to hold onto. For a fleeting moment, he looks genuinely stunned, but he recovers quickly, his mask of arrogance slipping back into place.

“That’s a serious accusation,” he says, his voice strained but steady.

“It’s not an accusation,” I say, my tone colder now. With a few clicks on the tablet in front of me, the evidence flashes onto the large screen behind me. “It’s a fact.”

The room falls silent again, the only sound the faint hum of the projector. Line after line of incriminating data is displayed—transactions, receipts, timestamps, all meticulously documented. The impact is palpable. The board members move in their seats uncomfortably, even Lawrence’s face betrays his shock.

Frank’s mask cracks further. His mouth opens, then closes as though searching for words. Finally, he manages a stammer. “You… you don’t understand. I was just—”

“Enough,” I cut in, my voice sharp. I rise from my seat, standing tall as I glare down at him. “You’ve betrayed this company. Effective immediately, you’re suspended from your position as CFO, pending a full investigation.”

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