If you won't authorize the $35,000 credit expansion, you're worthless to this firm, my business partner snapped.
The grocery store was bustling, a symphony of squeaking carts and cheerful background music. I pushed my cart, carefully checking prices, calculating every penny. Nia was back at our commercial kitchen, prepping for a potential new client, trying to work miracles with a shoestring budget. My phone was dead, so I couldn’t even text her about the organic kale I found on sale.
As I rounded the corner by the produce section, I saw a woman standing near the front entrance, looking uncertainly at the row of storefronts. She seemed to be waiting for someone. Her face was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her.
She wore a simple gray dress, and her posture was rigid. Then she looked up, and our eyes met. Kendra Hollis. Julian’s ex-fiancée. The former head accountant at Savor & Soul. My heart leaped into my throat. She’d vanished from the firm eight months ago without a trace.
She quickly averted her gaze, her shoulders slumping. My first instinct was a mix of suspicion and resentment. Had Julian sent her? Was this another one of his games? But her demeanor seemed too timid, too… hesitant for Julian’s usual aggressive tactics.
I quickened my pace, pushing past the bakery display, a rush of anxiety flooding me. Nia needed to know. I needed to warn her.
When I arrived at the rented commercial kitchen, the scent of roasting garlic and thyme filled the air. Nia was humming softly, chopping onions with rhythmic precision.
“Nia,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “Kendra Hollis is outside.”
Nia paused, her knife hovering over the cutting board. Her eyes snapped to mine. “Kendra? Julian’s ex?”
“Yes. She was just outside the grocery store. I think she might be trying to find you.”
Before Nia could respond, there was a tentative knock at the back door. Nia exchanged a quick, worried glance with me. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked to the door, opening it just a crack.
It *was* Kendra. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she clutched a worn leather handbag to her chest.
“Nia? Marcus?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Can I… can I speak with you?”
Nia looked at me, a question in her eyes. I gave a slight nod. Curiosity warred with my apprehension.
Nia opened the door fully. Kendra stepped inside, her gaze darting around the modest kitchen.
“I know this is unexpected,” Kendra began, her hands twisting the strap of her bag. “And I know you probably hate me. I should have come forward sooner.”
My jaw tightened. “Come forward about what, Kendra?”
Her eyes met mine, filled with a raw, undeniable guilt. “Julian. The accounting. He made me keep dual ledgers. One for the board, and one… for his personal dealings.”
A shock went through me. Dual ledgers. That explained so much. That explained how Julian could be siphoning money without the board noticing. This was a massive secret.
“He coerced me,” she continued, her voice gaining a desperate edge. “He threatened me. That’s why I left. I couldn’t bear it anymore, watching him ruin your life, Marcus.”
Nia stepped forward. “What are you saying, Kendra?”
“I’m saying I have proof,” Kendra said, her voice shaking but firm. “I kept encrypted copies. Every single transaction. Every penny Julian siphoned off. Every hidden liability. I couldn’t let him get away with it.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, encrypted USB drive. It felt heavy in her hand. The suddenness of it, the unexpected ally, left me momentarily speechless. This was a game-changer. Julian’s carefully constructed web of lies might just unravel.
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