Chapter 146: The new accountant is familiar
"Amara," She didn’t even finish. She just turned the screen. Sold out. Every single piece.
"It is," Janet said, her voice trembling with excitement. "And orders are still coming in. The site traffic is insane, we might have to expand production immediately." Silence.
But this time. It sounded like victory. Within minutes, the entire team was gathered. The room buzzed with energy, people talking over each other, smiling, celebrating, some still in disbelief.
Her eyes moved across them. Each face. Each story.
The room erupted. Cheers. Laughter. Relief.
And in the middle of it all. Amara stood there. Not just as a founder. But as someone who had rebuilt herself. From the corner of the room. Julian watched.
In his hand was his phone. The screen is dark now, but the information is still fresh in his mind. About her mother. It wasn’t everything. Not yet. But it was enough.
She was smiling. Laughing. Alive in a way he hadn’t seen in a long time. And just like that. He made a decision. Not today. He exhaled quietly, slipping the phone into his pocket. Let her have this. Because whatever truth was coming. It wasn’t small. It wasn’t simple. And it would change things.
For a second. Too long. Then he nodded. "Yeah." Simple. Controlled. Too controlled.
"Hello." Both of them turned. The man who walked in didn’t look remarkable at first glance.
Sharp. Alert. Amara felt it too. A flicker of recognition that didn’t quite form into memory but lingered like a shadow she couldn’t place.
"Oh..." Amara blinked, pulling herself back into the moment. "Right. Have we met before?" A small smile crossed his face.
Something about the way he said it... Didn’t sit right. Julian’s gaze hardened slightly.
Professional. Measured. "Well, you can leave your résumé. We’ll call you."
"I’m better in person than on paper," he added quickly, his tone shifting just slightly. more eager now. "You don’t even have to pay me. Let me work. You can decide later." A small step closer.
"Amara, these numbers are crazy, they’re making my head spin!" Janet rushed in, barely noticing the tension in the room, before her eyes landed on the stranger.
He picked up the folder from the desk, flipping through it with ease. "Do you have a computer?" he asked. Janet blinked, slightly thrown off.
Numbers moved across the screen. Fast. Precise. Confident. Janet crossed her arms, watching closely. "I’ll keep an eye on him," she muttered under her breath. Amara nodded slowly.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Maybe she was overthinking. Maybe it was nothing. But across the room. Julian hadn’t looked away once. His gaze was sharp now.
The kind that settled deep. Julian noticed immediately. "Sit," he said, already guiding her toward the couch, his hand firm but gentle at her waist.
"You’re not." There was no argument left in him for anything else.