The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 25

25 The Architect of the Secret Audit

25 The Architect of the Secret Audit

Hazel’s POV

I adjusted the collar of my blouse as I entered the conference room. Liam had called an urgent meeting with only his most trusted employees–me, Damian, Evelyn, and Owen. The secrecy surrounding this gathering had my nerves on edge.

Liam stood by the window, his broad shoulders tense beneath his tailored suit. The afternoon sun cast shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw. He

looked exhausted.

“Thank you all for coming,” he said, turning to face us. “This meeting doesn’t leave this

room.”

Damian closed the door and dimmed the lights. Liam activated the privacy protocol- soundproof barriers, signal jammers, and surveillance blockers.

“For the past six months, Damian and I have been tracking financial discrepancies,” Liam began, his voice grave. “We’re under attack.”

Silence fell across the room. Evelyn’s normally composed face showed concern.

“What kind of attack?” I asked, already reaching for my tablet to take notes.

Liam nodded to Damian, who pulled up spreadsheets on the conference room screen.

“Systematic plundering,” Damian explained, pointing to highlighted sections. “Diverted funds. Missing resources. Client poaching. It’s sophisticated and coordinated.”

Owen leaned forward. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough that if it continues, we could be facing bankruptcy within a year,” Liam admitted, running a hand through his dark hair.

My stomach dropped. “A year? That’s aggressive.”

“And deliberate,” Liam added, his violet–blue eyes meeting mine. “Someone wants Sterling Group destroyed, and they’re playing the long game.”

I studied the financial patterns on screen. Something felt eerily familiar.

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25 The Architect of the Secret Audit

“We need to hire a forensic accounting firm,” Owen suggested.

“No,” I said firmly, surprising myself with my certainty. All eyes turned to me.

“Care to elaborate, Ms. Vance?” Liam asked, his expression unreadable.

I straightened in my chair. “This pattern matches what happened at Apex Steel three years ago. Before Adrian Cole took over”

“Apex nearly went bankrupt,” Evelyn recalled.

“They did go bankrupt,” I corrected. “I know because I helped them through it. Albert. Allen hired me as a consultant after their so–called ‘independent audit‘ failed to find anything wrong.”

Liam’s eyebrows shot up. “You worked with Albert Allen?”

“For six months,” I nodded. “The audit firm they hired was compromised. By the time. we discovered the real issues, it was too late. External firms alert the culprits.”

Damian exchanged a look with Liam. “So what do you suggest?”

I stood and walked to the screen, feeling a confidence I hadn’t known I possessed. “We conduct our own audit, but we keep it completely off the books.”

The idea formed rapidly in my mind–memories of late nights poring over Apex’s books, tracing financial threads to their sources.

“We need a secret office, I continued, warming to my plan. “Maybe on one of the floors under renovation? We set up a command center there. We recruit financial analysts we trust completely to work after hours. We install surveillance in key departments. We plant spies.”

Owen whistled. “That’s… extreme.”

“It’s necessary,” I insisted. “Whoever’s doing this is inside our company. They have access, knowledge, and time. We need to be smarter.”

Liam was watching me intently, something like admiration flickering in his eyes.

“Continue,” he prompted.

“We need a specialized team working at night when most employees are gone. Albert Allen became an expert in corporate fraud after what happened at Apex. He could lead

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25 The Architect of the Secret Audit

our operation.”

“Albert retired,” Llam said quietly.

“He’d come back for this,” I replied confidently. “He still feels the sting of what happened.”

The room fell silent as everyone considered my proposal. Liam paced slowly, his brow furrowed in thought.

“How do you know Albert Allen?” he finally asked.

“He was my mentor during the Apex crisis,” I explained. “I was recommended to him by a professor.”

What I didn’t add was how many nights I’d spent sleeping on Albert’s office couch, determined to find the money trail while pregnant with Leo.

A strange look crossed Liam’s face. “Albert Allen was my father’s friend. They went to college together.”

The coincidence hung in the air between us. Another thread connecting our lives before we’d even met.

“Hazel’s plan makes sense,” Damian broke the silence. “We need to move quickly but

quietly.”

Liam nodded decisively. “Evelyn, I want you to contact Albert. Your relationship with him predates any current employees. Less suspicious.”

Evelyn nodded. “I’ll call him personally.”

“Owen, secure us a floor. Make it look like ongoing renovations. Install the security we

need.

“On it,” Owen confirmed.

“Damian, you’ll identify trustworthy analysts,” Liam continued. “People without connections to any suspicious departments.”

“And me?” I asked.

Liam’s eyes met mine. “You’ll work directly with me on this. We need to track every path the money’s taking without alerting anyone. You know what to look for.”

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25 The Architect of the Secret Audit

I nodded, ignoring the flutter in my stomach at the thought of working closely with Liam on something so vital.

“We’ll meet daily, Liam continued. “Always changing locations, always under the radar. If someone’s systematically stealing from Sterling Group, they’ll slip up eventually.”

“And when they do, we’ll be waiting,” Damian added grimly.

Liam placed his hands flat on the conference table, looking at each of us in turn. “What

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