It was a typical Wednesday morning when I found myself in Mr. Larkin’s office, the city skyline sprawling beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. His office was a testament to success—expensively framed accolades and photographs lined the walls, a testament to his decades-long career. The desk between us was large and imposing, polished to a shine, with only one item out of place: a manila folder. « Thank you for coming in on short notice, » he began, his voice smooth and practiced. I nodded, trying to mask my unease with a practiced smile. « Of course, Mr. Larkin. You mentioned something about discrepancies? »
« Yes, » he said, gesturing to the folder. « I think you should take a look. » I opened it carefully, my heart pounding as if it anticipated bad news. Inside were pages of invoices, each neatly itemized, each stamped with approval from projects I hadn’t been aware of. I scanned the dates: March 3rd, May 15th, August 24th—each one a reminder of meetings I thought I’d attended, decisions I thought had been made.
« I assume this is about the quarterly reports, » I said, attempting to sound composed. « Partly, » he replied, leaning back in his chair. His demeanor was calm, unnervingly so. « But there’s more. These invoices suggest a pattern, and we need to understand it before the auditors arrive next week. »
The word ‘auditors’ sent a chill down my spine. In the corporate world, auditors were both a necessity and a threat. Their findings could unravel years of effort with a single signature. I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the folder in my hands. « This isn’t a mistake, » he continued, his eyes fixed on me. « We need to talk about your department’s expenditures. »
I looked at the invoices again, trying to find something—anything—that would explain this. But the numbers were clear, and so was the implication. « I assure you, Mr. Larkin, I’ll get to the bottom of this, » I said, my voice firmer than I felt. His gaze didn’t waver. « We’ll need a meeting with the auditors, » he said, making a note in his planner. « Let’s arrange it for Friday. »
I nodded, knowing this was just the beginning of a much larger unraveling. As I left his office, the gravity of the situation began to settle in. This was more than a simple oversight; this was a storm, and I was at its center.
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