"Victor, I'm glad you're early. We have something very important to discuss," the lawyer said, his eyes narrowing.
He nodded, glancing at the clock as he slid into his swivel chair. The restless night with Julia played in his mind like a loop. The lawyer's serious demeanor only deepened his worries. Time slipped by unnoticed.
As he settled in, he leaned forward, urgency creeping into his voice. "We need to discuss what's on the agenda, attorney."
The older man inhaled deeply, his brow furrowing. "These past few years, your company is consistently in the top five in our country. You create many jobs and earn substantial profits. That's why you are a billionaire."
"Just get to the point, attorney," He snapped, irritation rising in his chest.
"I'm only trying to prepare you for what I discovered. I mentioned it briefly last night, but I need to tell you again. After the finance department reviewed the annual revenue, we were stunned to find that expenses outweigh the income. There are losses, but what's worse is that the remaining capital is missing," he said, his voice low as he slid a folder across the desk.
He scanned the pages, a frown forming on Victor's forehead. He understood loss in business, but if they couldn't find capital, it signaled something dire. Still, he needed confirmation from the older man.
"Why is it gone? What happened? Where did all the money go?" he shot out, each question bubbling with frustration.
"I've conducted an audit and reviewed all transactions from last year. I discovered that someone was stealing the company's money. The capital we counted on is simply gone," he revealed, the weight of his suspicion resting heavily in the air.
Victor's throat tightened, as if he had swallowed a rock. Memories flashed in his mind, replaying moments he wished he could forget.
"Victor, where are you going? Are you really going to leave me on our honeymoon night? This is supposed to be our first night together!" Julia's eyes filled with tears as she reached for him.
"I need to know who stole money from my company! I have to catch that creep myself!" he shot back, frustration boiling over in his voice.
He never imagined that this lie would become real after five years. A chill raced down his spine, causing his hands to tremble.
After the wedding in the small chapel, Victor felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a message from Iris, his secret lover. Since her return, the temptation grew stronger. He longed for her. Yet, he couldn't leave Julia; she was the better choice, the one who felt like true wife material.
When he opened Iris's message, a rush of excitement surged through him: "Come to my place tonight. This will be the last night before I give you up to your wife." Attached were sultry photos of her in bed, waiting just for him.
Desire ignited within him, and he felt his mouth water. As Julia's husband, he knew he couldn't always be with Iris. So, he planned to enjoy every second that night. On their first day of his marriage, he exchanged it for hours with Iris—and he felt no regret. She was incredible in bed, making him forget he was newly married.
He had simply told Julia there was an employee stealing from the company to spend precious last moments with his ex-girlfriend. Little did he know that this lie would ring true five years later. Money was indeed missing from his precious company!
"Victor? Are you still with me?" The old man waved his hand, trying to pull him back from the memories that danced in his mind like shadows.
He blinked, shaking off the past, and swallowed hard as his heart raced. "I-I'm still here. Who is responsible for this? Who the fuck dared to steal from my company?" he demanded, his voice laced with anger.
"Like I said, everything's still being investigated, Victor. We need to conduct a thorough examination given you have thousands of employees. But don't worry, we'll do everything we can to catch whoever is stealing from the company," he assured, trying to calm him down.
Annoyance bubbled inside him, stirring feelings of guilt he refused to acknowledge. He seized the old man's necktie, tugging him closer until the attorney spluttered. "What?! You still don't know who did this to me? What's the point of paying you if you can't handle simple work?!" he snapped, his teeth clenching in rage.
The attorney pulled back his necktie, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "For your information, Victor, you're not my only high-paying client. Don't address me like that. I'm doing my job. It's challenging to track down who stole from your company. Don't project your anger onto me, this is your negligence. If you had focused on the company instead of nonsense matters, this wouldn't have occurred. What you want is complicated. Man up, Victor. I'm leaving," he said with irritation, standing up.
Victor stepped back, surprise washing over him. He recognized this man's skill was unmatched. Annoyance bubbled within him, but he stayed silent, worrying the attorney might simply walk out on him.
As soon as the old man exited his office, his assistant Ray walked in. "Oh, why are you here? Were you eavesdropping on us?" he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.
Ray shook his head, his expression serious. "I just arrived at your private office, Mr. Voss. I'm here because your mother is on the line," he said politely, extending the wireless phone towards Victor.
Victor rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Fine, just go,"
Ray exited, and Victor took a deep breath before answering. "Hello, Mom."
"Victor, I heard the news from the attorney. He told us last night. My God, I don't understand why this is happening to us! How much is missing from the company?" her voice trembled through the line.
A sharp pain throbbed behind his eyes as he listened to his mother. "I read in the papers that $3.5 million is missing from the company," he answered, trying to keep his voice steady.
He could almost picture her losing her balance at the shocking figure. "What! $3.5 million! That's how much is missing? My God, Victor! What are we going to do? This can't happen! This amount is massive, and it will impact the company. We could end up in the news!"
Each frantic word from his mother tightened the knot in his stomach. He felt like he was gasping for air. What was happening? His company had always been successful. Why now? He vowed to make whoever stole from him pay for this betrayal!
"What now, Victor? What's your plan?" his mother pressed, her voice urgent and shaky.
He inhaled deeply, gathering his thoughts. "I'm working on it, Mom. Please, don't add to my stress. I will find out who it is," he assured her.
Silence stretched between them like a heavy blanket.
Finally, his mother's voice broke the stillness. "Victor… I have an idea about who could have done this,"
His heart pounded in his chest. "Who, Mom? Tell me!" he urged, desperation creeping into his voice.
"I'm sure your worthless wife stole from your company! She's your wife, after all. She knows all about you and your business. You're living on the same roof! How did she set up her own agency? Where did she get that money? Sure, she didn't spend billions. But how can a woman with no career suddenly have an agency? Because she stole from you! This is her revenge against you and our family," his mother declared confidently.
He looked at his wife with disgust, feeling a heavy weight of anger in his chest. The thought of touching her made him cringe. Yet, deep down, a small voice whispered that Julia could never betray him like that. She's not like that… but…
"Why are you so quiet? I'm right, aren't I? I know I am, Victor! No one else could have done this but your gold-digger wife! She married you for your money. And now she's still in your life for her revenge. She's robbing you! You're keeping a snake in your home. How could she afford to start an agency? Think about it, son!" Her words burrowed into his mind, slowly shifting his thoughts.
Maybe she really did steal from him. How could she suddenly afford to start a business after making so little money before?
He couldn't pinpoint how Julia could steal from him, but his mother's words echoed in his mind. "It was a huge mistake to marry her! She has done nothing but bring shame to our family! She has the guts to steal! Now she will feel our family's anger. I will send her to jail!" his mother shouted furiously through the line.
"Mom…" he was barely able to whisper.
"That woman is a termite in our family. As long as she's here, she'll keep ruining our lives! She's bad luck! Worthless! Let's see how thick-skinned she really is. She will end up behind bars! I'm calling General. He'll help us get her arrested," she said with cold certainty before ending the call.
Victor felt as if he had run a marathon, breathless and exhausted. He couldn't believe Julia could betray him like this, especially after he saved her from shame when another man had ruined her. Now, this was she gonna pay him? What the hell.
Fury coursed through him, tightening his grip as his fist clenched painfully. "You will feel my wrath, Julia!"
What dangers await for Julia and her son? Who had truly stolen the money from the company, is it really Julia?