[INT. JULIEN'S OFFICE – MORNING]
Julien steps through the glass doors of the imposing building where he works. The familiar sound of keyboards, the muffled voices of hallway conversations, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee greet him. Yet something feels off. He tightens his grip on his briefcase, taking a deep breath before heading to his desk.
It has been weeks since he last felt this nervous walking in here. The curious glances, the whispers behind his back, and the constant pressure to prove his worth have never truly disappeared since his promotion.
As he places his belongings on his desk, he notices a folded note next to his keyboard. Intrigued, he opens it.
"Appearances can be deceiving. Be wary of those you think you know."
Julien frowns, his heart beating slightly faster. He glances around, but no one seems to be paying him any attention. Who left this note, and why?
---
[INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – LATER]
The first meeting of the day begins. Julien sits at the end of the table, surrounded by colleagues and superiors, some offering polite smiles, others observing him with neutral expressions.
Mr. Bernard, the director, starts the discussion.
MR. BERNARD
"So, Julien, how's the presentation for the Artech project coming along?"
JULIEN
(confidently)
"Everything is ready. We finalized the numbers yesterday and adjusted the projections based on the latest data."
Mr. Bernard nods, but a colleague, Marc, abruptly interjects.
MARC
"I don't want to sound pessimistic, but some of the figures don't seem to align with our initial expectations. Are you sure about your analysis, Julien?"
Julien grits his teeth. He can tell Marc has been waiting for an opportunity to undermine him.
JULIEN
(calmly)
"The data has been triple-checked. If you have doubts, I can send you the full report after the meeting."
MARC
(sarcastically)
"That's great because I think there are some errors that need reviewing."
A tense silence fills the room. Mr. Bernard quickly intervenes to refocus the discussion, but Julien can feel the tension rising.
---
[INT. OFFICE CAFETERIA – NOON]
Julien sits alone with his tray, hoping for a moment of peace. He scrolls through his phone, searching for a distraction, but the anonymous note from earlier keeps echoing in his mind.
Sophie, a colleague he gets along with, joins him with a warm smile.
SOPHIE
"You okay, Julien? You seem a bit distracted."
JULIEN
(sighing)
"It's nothing. Just… the usual stress."
SOPHIE
"Is it about Marc? I overheard him in the break room earlier. He was saying you weren't ready for this promotion."
Julien clenches his fists under the table. The constant whispers, the insinuations—they're starting to weigh heavily on him.
JULIEN
(sarcastically)
"Why am I not surprised? He's always looking for ways to discredit me."
SOPHIE
(more seriously)
"Be careful, Julien. People like him… they can get nasty if it suits them."
Sophie's words hit Julien harder than he admits. He remembers the mysterious note from this morning.
---
[INT. JULIEN'S DESK – AFTERNOON]
Julien returns to his desk, but an uneasy feeling lingers. As he logs into his computer, he notices a strange file on his desktop. The title, in all caps, is cryptic: "TRUTH."
Hesitant, he clicks on it.
The document contains a series of emails and screenshots that seem to incriminate Marc in manipulating data from a previous project. Julien reads carefully, his heart racing. If these documents are real, Marc deliberately falsified numbers to sabotage one of Julien's reports before his promotion.
He hesitates. These documents could prove Marc is trying to undermine him, but they're anonymous. Who sent them? And why now?
A new email pops into his inbox.
"The masks will fall soon. Be careful who you trust."
Julien leans back in his chair, his mind racing.
---
[INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – END OF THE DAY]
An emergency meeting is called by Mr. Bernard to address the client's feedback on the current project. Julien arrives first, still shaken by the afternoon's revelations.
One by one, the others filter in, and Marc casually takes a seat across from him, a smug smile on his lips. Julien clenches his fists but says nothing.
Mr. Bernard begins.
MR. BERNARD
"We've received some significant feedback from the client. Adjustments will need to be made quickly. Marc, Julien, you'll be responsible for the corrections."
Marc shoots Julien a sidelong glance, as if relishing the opportunity to complicate things.
MARC
(casually)
"Not a problem. Julien and I always work so well together."
Julien grits his teeth under the table.
---
[INT. JULIEN'S APARTMENT – EVENING]
Back at home, Julien collapses onto the couch. Thomas, who was preparing dinner, immediately joins him, concerned.
THOMAS
"You don't look okay."
JULIEN
(exhausted)
"Marc is doing everything he can to undermine me at work. And that's not all. Someone sent me proof of his manipulation, but I have no idea who."
Thomas sits beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
THOMAS
"Do you think it's a trap?"
JULIEN
"I don't know. But if it's real, it could bring him down."
Thomas thinks for a moment before meeting Julien's gaze.
THOMAS
"Then be careful. These kinds of games can get dangerous."
---
[INT. JULIEN'S DESK – THE NEXT MORNING]
Julien arrives early, determined to take control. He prints the anonymous documents and prepares a detailed file for Mr. Bernard. If he needs to defend himself, he wants all the evidence ready.
But as he opens his email, another message awaits.
"You're on the right track, but the worst is yet to come."
Julien freezes, a sense of dread creeping over him. Who is behind all of this?
---
[INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – LATER]
The day drags on until Julien is summoned to Mr. Bernard's office. When he enters, he finds Marc already seated, a file in front of him.
Mr. Bernard looks at them both, his expression serious.
MR. BERNARD
"It seems there have been irregularities in some recent projects. Julien, Marc, I want you to explain what's going on."
Julien opens his mouth to respond, but Marc speaks first.
MARC
(accusingly)
"I believe Julien has been trying to discredit me by falsifying documents."
Julien's heart skips a beat. He realizes Marc has turned the situation against him.
Mr. Bernard turns to Julien, waiting for an explanation. Julien clenches his fists, ready to defend himself.
---
[SUSPENSEFUL FINAL MOMENT]
Before Julien can speak, a female voice interrupts from the doorway.
SOPHIE
(stepping into the room)
"I believe I have something to add."
She holds a USB drive, her expression resolute.
JULIEN
(almost whispering)
"Sophie…"
Mr. Bernard, surprised, gestures for her to come forward. She plugs the drive into the computer and opens a file.
SOPHIE
(calmly but firmly)
"Here's the proof that Marc falsified data. And that's not all."
Marc's eyes widen in shock, and Julien sits frozen, caught between relief and anticipation.