Chapter 72: My heart will go on
Ashley lifted her gaze, catching a few employees stealing glances in her direction. She forced herself to stay calm, pretending to remain absorbed in the meeting.
Nikolai had the floor. He was head of the marketing department, and she had to admit, he was doing an impressive job.
"We’re expecting a 10% increase in revenue," he said, his tone confident.
She nodded, taking mental notes, though her thoughts kept drifting—back and forth between Nikolai and the troubling numbers in the record book.
Her grief was slowly giving way to anger as she thought of how to handle the issue before her.
After the meeting, she asked for the CFO and Claire to meet her in her office. She needed a second and third pair of eyes on the records. If her observations were right, they’d launch a full investigation on the financial manager. Part of her hoped she was wrong. She’d come to like most of the staff—including the one under scrutiny.
******
Ashley left the company hours later than usual. She had dismissed Greg earlier, sending him home with a wrapped gift after he mentioned it was his father’s birthday. It surprised her—Greg rarely shared anything personal. The small revelation made her feel strangely happy, like maybe he was finally beginning to loosen up around her.
Now, she was alone behind the wheel, driving with no destination in mind. The usual remedy–burying herself in work, had failed to numb the ache in her chest. She needed something stronger.