Emily leaned against the door without replying.
Nathan exhaled slowly. “I knew there was something familiar, but I didn’t expect—” He stopped. “What are you doing here?”
“Working,” Emily replied. “Apparently your company hires efficiently.”
His expression hardened. “Don’t play games with me.”
Her laugh was colder this time. “Games? Nathan, your secretary slapped me in front of half your staff and called you her husband. If anyone’s been playing games, it isn’t me.”
He fell silent.
Emily stepped closer. “I came because I kept hearing things. About your company. About money moving through shell vendors. About your inner circle shutting out senior finance staff. About Vanessa acting like she owns the place.”
She stopped at the table. “I wanted to see whether you were incompetent, compromised, or unfaithful. I haven’t ruled anything out.”
His eyes flashed. “I am not having an affair with Vanessa.”
“But you let her act like she could claim you publicly?”
“I didn’t know she was doing that.”
“Then you’ve lost control of your own office.”
That landed.
Nathan pulled a folder forward and slid it toward her. “Since you’re here, look.”
Inside were audit notes, flagged transactions, unsigned approvals, and expense authorizations routed through executive administration. Vanessa’s name appeared everywhere—not as final authority, but as the gatekeeper threading herself through every process connected to Nathan’s signature.
Emily read quickly, her expression tightening. “You suspected her?”
“I suspected someone,” Nathan said. “Three months ago, outside counsel found inconsistencies. Small ones at first. Duplicate invoices. Vendors with polished websites and empty histories. Calendar entries shifted to create ‘urgent’ signing windows. Vanessa controlled access to half the paper flow.”
He met her gaze. “I was building a case.”
“Then why not fire her?”
“Because if she’s part of something bigger, removing her too soon gives everyone time to disappear.”
Emily closed the folder. “So while you were building a case, she was building a fantasy marriage.”
He looked tired for the first time. “That part I didn’t see.”
