Chapter 15 - The Paper Trail Widens|
The forensic investigation into Aurelia Systems didn't stop with Julian and Camilla. Like a thread pulled from an old sweater, the entire executive infrastructure began to unravel.
Over the next two months, Ethan Shaw’s team uncovered three more mid-level managers who had accepted kickbacks to approve Julian’s fraudulent invoices.
The procurement manager, terrified of prison time, walked into the District Attorney’s office with a box of printed emails. They proved Julian had threatened to fire anyone who questioned the payments to Briar Consulting.
Audrey spent her days at the Aurelia headquarters, not as an oppressive boss, but as a stabilizing presence.
She walked the floors of the engineering wing, meeting the team leads face-to-face.
“Ms. Vance,” said Sarah, a lead software developer, during one of Audrey’s floor visits. “Are... are the rumors true? Are we going to be liquidated?”
Audrey stopped by Sarah’s cubicle and shook her head firm.
“No, Sarah. We’ve cleared the toxic debt. The company is profitable now that three million dollars isn't walking out the back door every year. Your department's budget freeze is lifted as of today.”
Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes.
“Thank you. We’ve been working sixty-hour weeks with broken equipment for a year.”
“Order whatever equipment you need,” Audrey instructed. “Send the invoices directly to my office.”
Word spread quickly through the building. The mysterious heiress who had brought down the corrupt Chief Strategy Officer wasn't a ruthless corporate raider—she was a protector.
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Meanwhile, in the holding cell three miles away, Julian’s defense was collapsing. His legal team tried to argue that the public exposure at the ballroom was an act of malicious prosecution, but the video footage from the Halcyon Hotel proved fatal to his defense.
The hotel security cameras had captured everything: the violent shove, Audrey stumbling into the table, and Julian bending down to whisper his cruel demand.
