Page 18 of Lies (Wicked Empire 1)

I put my laptop on the floor then stretched out on the couch, my mind still swirling as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Amethyst

When the next morning came,I was exhausted.

And exhilarated.

I had looked back through the company’s records for the previous two years and found that same discrepancy.

I’d found others too.

I wasn’t sure what they meant, but the pattern was undeniable, and my gut told me it was something.

I just needed to figure out what.

“Good morning, Carol,” I called to the receptionist, who was also a family friend.

“Morning, Amy,” she responded.

“How’s the ankle?”

I looked down at her propped-up ankle, the air cast looking giant on her tiny leg.

“Two more weeks and I can get rid of this thing.”

“You think you can make it?” I asked.

She leaned forward, her eyes twinkling conspiratorially. “If it means Josh will walk me to my car, I can definitely make it. Might leave it on for an extra week just because,” she said.

I laughed and shook my head, and she shrugged.

“I’m old, not dead,” she said, a bright smile on her thin face, her brown skin wrinkle-free.

“I’m not judging,” I said, lifting my hands defensively.

“Forget judging, you should take that man—”

“Nope,” I said with a firm shake of my head, “it’s not even eight yet. We are not going down that road.”

I waved at her as I headed down the hall.

“We’ll talk about this later, young lady.”

“No, we won’t,” I called over my shoulder.

“We’ll see—” The phone rang, and the switch was instantaneous. “James Industries,” she said in the friendly yet personable tone I’d heard her use about a million times.

She’d worked at the company for decades and had been here when my grandfather had first started the company, well before I was born.

Carol was as close to a mother as I had ever had.

But I wouldn’t let her interfere in my love life—or lack thereof—no matter how hard she tried.

Instead, I made my way to my office, anxious to do some more investigation.

I stopped short when I entered.

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