Chapter 4 - The HR Audit and the Shell Company**
Adrian managed to choke out a strangled, breathless sound before finally prying Vanessa’s arm away from his sleeve. “Leave us,” he commanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of terror and absolute mortification. Vanessa blinked, utterly confused by his tone. “Pardon? Mr. President, security should—” I said, my voice cutting through the silent room like a razor-sharp blade, “You heard him, Vanessa. Leave us now.” She stared at me, her mouth agape, as Adrian stepped around her and stood directly in front of me, his posture instantly folding into a posture of profound submission. Without uttering another word to the stunned onlookers, I turned on my heel and walked straight into Adrian’s private corner office, motioning for him to follow. The heavy glass door clicked shut behind us, locking out the curious eyes of the entire floor. “Claire...” Adrian stammered, his face pale as death as he reached out a trembling hand. “I can explain... it’s not what it looks like...” I raised a single hand, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Save your breath, Adrian. You can explain everything to the corporate compliance committee and the board of directors.” I walked over to his massive executive desk, sat down in his leather chair, and immediately opened my laptop. Within minutes, I had contacted our chief human resources officer and the head of internal corporate auditing, requesting a comprehensive, unannounced audit of every single expense report, payroll bonus, and vendor contract associated with Vanessa Hart over the past three years. What we uncovered during that two-hour closed-door audit made my skin crawl. Not only had Adrian been systematically funneling luxury perks, unauthorized bonuses, and international travel expenses to Vanessa, but our forensic accountants also discovered a secret shell consulting firm registered under a variation of Vanessa’s maiden name—a dummy corporation that had siphoned over half a million dollars in corporate funds directly into her personal bank accounts with Adrian’s explicit digital authorization. He hadn't just given her special treatment; he had built her a financial empire using corporate capital while cheating on me right under my nose. And the white watch? He hadn't bought it for his mother at all; he had purchased it using corporate discretionary funds as a personal anniversary gift for his mistress, casually lying to my face when I asked if my gift request had been handled.
