The days had begun to blur together. Riya's life had become a cycle of late-night meetings, relentless phone calls, and stacks of reports piling up on her desk. Valhalla's accounting crisis had only worsened, and Sterling Group's audit breach loomed in the background like a ticking time bomb. Each problem demanded her full attention, and the pressure was suffocating. She felt as though she was trying to plug holes in a sinking ship, but every solution seemed to open another floodgate.
Riya was running late, her phone vibrating with notifications from her assistant,who was juggling meeting schedules and keeping the endless flow of information organized. She grabbed her blazer, glanced at the clock, and hurried to the conference room where the finance team was already gathering.
Raj, one of the senior financial analysts, was deep in conversation with Maya, her assistant, while Anjali, a newer member of the team, sat quietly, her fingers nervously tapping the edge of her tablet.
"I don't know how we're going to patch this up before the next quarter," Raj muttered under his breath. "It's worse than anyone expected."
Maya nodded, her expression grim. "I've been going through the numbers all night. The anomalies are everywhere. Someone's been manipulating the data."
As soon as Riya entered the room, the chatter died down, and all eyes turned to her. She knew the team was looking to her for answers, for direction, but even she wasn't entirely sure what to do next.
"Let's get started," Riya said, her voice steady but tinged with the exhaustion she couldn't quite hide. She took her place at the head of the table, straightening her blazer and flipping open her notebook. "We've got a lot to cover."
The employees exchanged quick glances, silently bracing themselves for what was to come.
"First, Valhalla's accounts," she began, her tone sharp and focused. "Raj, what's the status?"
Raj cleared his throat and stood up, a folder of documents in his hands. "We've been reviewing the financials for the last two quarters. It looks like someone's been tampering with the accounts. At first glance, it seemed like minor errors, but after digging deeper... well, it's deliberate. Someone's been manipulating the revenue reports and asset valuations."
The room tensed further as everyone processed the gravity of Raj's words. Manipulated accounts were no small matter—it meant someone, likely from within, was trying to sabotage the company or profit from its collapse.
"Do we know who's behind it?" Anjali asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her wide eyes showed her inexperience with such high-stakes issues, but her question was valid.
Raj shook his head. "Not yet. We're still investigating. But the pattern suggests someone with high-level access. We've isolated the discrepancies to a few key accounts, but identifying the perpetrator will take more time."
"Time we don't have," Riya snapped, her frustration surfacing. "If the shareholders catch wind of this, we're looking at a full-blown scandal. We can't afford that."
Maya jumped in, trying to ease the tension. "I've already alerted the internal audit team. They're working with Raj's department to figure out the exact source of the breach. We should have more information by tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Riya repeated, her voice rising slightly. "That's not fast enough. We need answers now, not when it's convenient."
The employees shifted uncomfortably, sensing Riya's growing frustration. She knew she was pushing them hard, but the stakes were too high for patience.
Maya hesitated, glancing quickly at Riya before saying "Sterling is... complicated. There's more to the audit breach than we initially thought, but—"
Riya shot her a warning glance, cutting her off before she could continue. This wasn't the place to reveal the full extent of Sterling's troubles, not with so many ears listening. The fewer people who knew the details, the better.
Maya quickly shifted gears. "For now, we've secured most of Sterling's financials. But there are still a few loose ends we need to tie up."
Raj furrowed his brow. "Loose ends? How bad is it, really?"
Riya's jaw tightened. She couldn't afford for the team to start panicking over Sterling as well. "We'll deal with Sterling when the time comes," she said firmly. "For now, Valhalla is the priority. I want every department working on this—review every transaction, every report. Nothing gets overlooked."
The team nodded, but Riya could see the unease in their faces. They were just as overwhelmed as she was, but there was no room for hesitation.
"Raj, I want a list of the most problematic accounts by the end of the day," Riya continued. "Maya, work with him and make sure we have all the documentation we need for the auditors. And Anjali—"
Anjali sat up a little straighter, clearly nervous to be called out. "Yes?"
"You'll assist with reviewing the flagged transactions. Make sure no detail slips through."
Anjali nodded quickly, looking relieved to have a clear task. "Of course."
The meeting continued for another hour, with each department giving updates and outlining their next steps. The more they talked, the more apparent it became that the problems were worse than anyone had anticipated. Valhalla's accounts were in disarray, and Sterling's breach was far more dangerous than Riya had initially let on.
But they had no choice but to push through. Failure wasn't an option, and Riya knew that every minute they wasted could bring them closer to disaster.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of discussion, Riya called the meeting to a close. "That's all for today," she said, standing and gathering her notes. "You know what needs to be done. No mistakes."
The employees nodded in unison, some exchanging worried glances as they stood to leave. As they filed out of the room, Riya remained behind, sinking into her chair and letting out a long, weary breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ward off the pounding headache that had been growing throughout the day.
Her phone buzzed, breaking the brief silence. She glanced at the screen: Kai.
With a sigh, she answered the call. "What now?"
Kai's voice on the other end was calm, but there was a gravity to his words that immediately put her on edge. "Riya, we need to talk. It's about Sterling."
Her fingers tightened around the phone. "What about it?"
"The breach," he said slowly, as though weighing each word carefully. "It's worse than we thought. The problem... it's closer than you realize."
Riya frowned, not liking the ambiguity in his tone. "Closer how?"
Kai didn't answer right away, his silence making her stomach knot. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with something cryptic. "Let's just say the people involved aren't as far away as you think. And time's running out."
"What are you suggesting?" she asked, her mind racing.
"You need to inform Sterling's CEO," he said, almost too casually. "Tell him everything before this gets out of hand."
Riya hesitated, not entirely sure she wanted to follow that advice. "I'm not ready to go public with this yet."
Kai let out a soft laugh, though there was no humor in it. "You don't have the luxury of time, Riya. If you wait too long, there won't be anything left to save."
She was silent for a moment, considering his words. Something in his tone unsettled her—there was more to this than he was letting on.
"I'll handle it," she said finally. "But not your way."
Kai sighed, his voice full of the kind of resigned amusement that came with knowing someone too well. "You always have to do things the hard way, don't you?"
"Maybe," she replied, her tone just as cryptic. "But it works."
After a few more cryptic exchanges, Kai hung up, leaving her with more questions than answers. Riya stared at the phone for a moment longer, then stood, grabbing her keys. She needed a break from the suffocating weight of the office, but more than that, she needed time to think.
Instead of taking her usual route through the busy city streets, Riya opted for a quieter, more scenic back road. The isolation would give her time to clear her head before tackling the growing list of problems once again.
But as she drove, something unsettling caught her eye. A black sedan, trailing her at a distance. She shook her head, dismissing it as paranoia, but when she sped up and the car matched her speed, her heartbeat quickened.
Her pupils constricted as she focused on the rear mirror trying to veer off the car she drove at 180 speed since there was no one on the road her whole body turned stiff with only intention to lose the trail. She pulled the gears and sped past as if she's sitting on fire. After what felt like an eternity she lost the car. She gradually slowed down, looked around and exhaled hard before pulling up the car.
She opened the door to observe the road for any signs but it was turning dark she couldn't make out which way nor did she see any pedestrians. She took her phone out in an attempt to contact someone but as the lucifer himself bestowed on her, phone's battery went down she forgot to charge it because of her work.
She was damned!
She mentally cursed and gave a hard kick to tires before dragging a hand through her face. She decided to drive around to ask for any directions.
Just when she thought she was in the clear, a sleek black G-Wagon pulled up in front of her.Suspicion prickled at the back of her mind.
Her instincts screamed that something wasn't right. This was too coincidental, too strange. Why would a G-Wagon—a vehicle that screamed wealth and status—be driving through an isolated area like this?
The driver's door opened, and the man stepped out, his long black coat sweeping the ground. His eyes locked onto hers with a piercing intensity, his every movement calculated and deliberate.
"Hey, little one," he said, his voice deep and smooth, sending a shiver down her spine. "Need some help?"