Chapter 4 - The Audit
The peace didn't last.
In the corporate world, empires aren't built on handshakes and late-night fries; they are built on leverage, paper trails, and internal power struggles.
Three weeks after the gallery opening, I walked into the third-floor conference room at Vitali Global Tower to deliver the final high-resolution digital archives for the upcoming European campaign expansion.
Instead of Cassian, I found Julian Vance sitting at the head of the mahogany conference table, flanked by two corporate compliance officers carrying thick manila folders.
I stopped dead in my tracks near the door.
"Ms. Hayes," Julian said, leaning back in his executive chair with a predatory grin. "Please, come in. We were just reviewing your file."
"Where is Cassian?" I asked, keeping my voice level, though every alarm bell in my head was screaming.
"Mr. Vitali is currently tied up in an emergency board meeting regarding the midtown restructuring," Julian replied smoothly, gesturing to an empty chair across from him. "As the senior managing partner overseeing compliance for all subsidiary assets—including Vitali Urban Holdings and the Harborlight property portfolio—I am handling routine internal reviews today."
I didn't sit down. I kept my digital hard drive clutched tightly in my hand. "What kind of review?"
Julian opened one of the thick manila folders. "An expenditure and conflict-of-interest audit. It has come to the committee's attention that the independent contractor agreement awarded to you six weeks ago bypasses standard competitive bidding protocols. Furthermore, the master covenant added to the Harborlight acquisition deed—granting perpetual commercial lease protections to your studio—was executed without board authorization."
My blood ran cold.
"Cassian signed that agreement," I said steadily. "He is the CEO."
"He is the CEO," Julian corrected, his smile turning sharp and dangerous, "subject to board oversight. When a chief executive unilaterally grants multi-million-dollar real estate exemptions to a romantic interest—an artist with whom he shares a documented personal relationship—that constitutes a severe breach of fiduciary duty."
The words hit me like physical blows. Romantic interest. Breach of fiduciary duty. Conflict of interest.
They weren't just coming after my studio anymore. They were coming after Cassian. And they were using me as the weapon to do it.
"You're setting him up," I whispered, the reality of the boardroom trap snapping into crystal-clear focus.
"We are simply upholding corporate governance, Ms. Hayes," Julian replied, standing up slowly and smoothing the lapels of his suit jacket. "The board will be voting tomorrow morning on whether to nullify the Harborlight acquisition deed and void your contract. Unless, of course, you choose to voluntarily walk away from the building, terminate your lease, and sign an affidavit stating that Mr. Vitali used corporate assets to coerce your compliance."
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I stared at him in absolute disbelief. They wanted me to betray Cassian to save my studio. Or betray my studio to save Cassian.
It was a classic corporate execution, wrapped in legal paper and delivered with a smile.
