27
Ciara’s Pov
The moment my mother told me about the missing funds, I stormed into my father’s study, where Adam was already pacing.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “I was just on cloud nine, and now you’re telling me someone is stealing from us?”
Adam exhaled sharply. “I didn’t want to ruin your mood, but this is serious, Ciara ”
I turned to my father. “How much are we talking about?”
“A lot,” Adam answered instead. “I noticed discrepancies when I was checking the books earlier today. Whoever did this has been smart about it, but they’ve already moved a huge amount of money.”
I rubbed my temples, frustration bubbling inside me. “And no one caught this until now?”
Adam shook his head. “Apparently not.”
My father’s face was stone–cold. “Whoever is behind this will pay.”
Adam nodded. “No one steals from us and walks away unscathed.”
I took a deep breath. “We need to figure out who’s responsible before making any rash decisions. The only way to do that is by calling a board meeting.”
Adam didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone and dialed. “I’ll handle it.”
Less than an hour later, we were seated in the conference room with the entire board. The atmosphere was tense. Murmurs filled the room as the board members exchanged concerned glances.
The CFO, a middle–aged man named Robert Hayes, adjusted his tie nervously as he took his seat. “What’s going Why the sudden emergency meeting?”
מולחם
I leaned forward, scanning the faces in the room. “Someone has been stealing from the
A ripple of shock spread across the table.
Robert’s brows furrowed. “What?”
I turned my gaze to him. “You’re the CFO. How did you miss this?”
His face paled. “Miss what?”
company.
Adam tapped his fingers against the table. “The stolen funds. A large sum has been moved, and somehow
didn’t see it?”
Robert stammered, his eyes darting around the room. “I–I wasn’t aware of any discrepancies.”
G
I narrowed my eyes. “How could you not know? My brother found them after a single review. You’re the chief financial officer. It’s your job to know!”
The man swallowed hard. “I swear, I don’t know anything about this. If there were irregularities, I would have caught them.”
Adam’s lips curled into a smirk. “Would you?”
Robert’s hands trembled slightly as he pushed back his chair. “This is insane. I would never-”
Adam clapped his hands twice. Immediately, two armed men stepped inside.
Robert’s face went ghostly white. “Wait–what are you doing?”
Adam smirked. “You’re the CFO. The money disappeared under your watch. Either you’re incompetent, or you’re
a thief.”
Robert shook his head furiously. “No! I would never steal! I swear, I had nothing to do with this!”
The armed men grabbed him, dragging him toward the door as he struggled. “Please! I’m innocent!”
His screams echoed down the hallway as he was hauled away.
My father stood, straightening his tie. The matter is handled. Meeting dismissed.”
The board members exchanged glances but said nothing as they filed out one by one.
Adam turned to me, his expression smug. “That was easy”
I didn’t respond. Something about this didn’t sit right with me
Back in my office, I tapped my fingers against my desk, deep in thought
The moment I accused Robert, he had looked genuinely shocked. The way he sputtered, the pure panic in his voice it didn’t seem like an act
I sighed and grabbed my phone. “Adam.”
“What?” He sounded impatient.
“I need his bank records.”
Adam groaned. “Ciara, we already have him locked up. If he’s tortured, he’ll confess.”
I frowned, “And what if he’s innocent?”
Silence. Then a scoff. “Come on, Ciara. You saw how nervous he was.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s guilty.”
Adam sighed. “Fine. I’ll have someone send them over.”
Hours later, I sat at my desk, sifting through the bank records. I frowned.
There was no sign of unusual transactions. No sudden influx of money. No offshore accounts.
Nothing.
Robert wasn’t living beyond his means. His accounts were clean.
I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly.
We’d accused the wrong man.
Someone else had set him up.
