Chapter 2 - The Daughter I Thought Was the Reason He Was Late Nearly Died in My Sister's ArmsEverything happened at once.
Declan pulled Maya from the booth.
“Where's her inhaler?”
“In my bag.”
His hands shook.
“Blue pocket.”
I grabbed the backpack.
“Here?”
“Yes!”
I found the inhaler and handed it to him.
Maya struggled for air.
“Easy, sweetheart.”
Declan pressed the medication.
“Breathe.”
She couldn't.
Chloe knelt beside her.
“Look at me.”
Maya's eyes filled with tears.
“I can't…”
“Yes, you can.”
Chloe took her hand.
“Remember what Daddy says.”
Maya inhaled weakly.
“Count.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
Slowly, her breathing eased.
The diner had gone silent.
I watched Declan hold her.
He was terrified.
Not of the company.
Not of losing his job.
Not of me.
His entire world was in his arms.
When the ambulance arrived, I followed.
Declan hesitated outside the diner.
“You don't have to come.”
“I know.”
“I fired you.”
“I know.”
“You should probably hate me.”
“I don't have time.”
I almost smiled.
Then I saw his face.
“No.”
We went together.
At the hospital, doctors stabilized Maya.
They explained that a respiratory infection had triggered the attack.
“She'll be okay,” the doctor said.
Declan closed his eyes.
I saw the relief.
Then exhaustion.
I had never seen a grown man look so tired.
I sat beside him.
“I owe you an apology.”
He looked at me.
“You don't owe me anything.”
“I fired you without asking why.”
“Yes.”
“You could have told me.”
“You made it clear you weren't interested.”
I looked down.
“That doesn't make it right.”
“No.”
He wasn't cruel.
That made it worse.
I asked:
“How long have you been at Lynwood?”
“Two years.”
“Why did Vaughn know about Maya?”
“He handles employee compliance.”
“He had access to your medical records?”
“He asked for documentation.”
“Did you give it?”
“Yes.”
I frowned.
“Then why did he say you had no valid reason for being late?”
Declan looked at me.
“Because the documents disappeared.”
My heart sank.
“What?”
“Three times.”
“From HR?”
“Yes.”
I stared.
Someone had removed his records.
That meant the firing wasn't accidental.
It had been arranged.
“Why would someone want you gone?”
“Because I asked questions.”
“About the shipments.”
“Yes.”
“What did you see?”
He hesitated.
“Do you trust me?”
I almost laughed.
“I didn't this morning.”
“And now?”
“I don't know.”
“That answer is fair.”
He took a breath.
“The Charleston transfer should never have failed.”
“Why?”
“Because the routing system contains a duplicate authorization.”
“Meaning?”
“One person approves the shipment.”
“Another confirms the destination.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“The confirmation was changed after approval.”
“By whom?”
“I don't know.”
“How did you discover it?”
“I monitor old systems.”
“You designed the legacy handoff.”
He nodded.
“Your father never replaced it because it was reliable.”
I felt strangely defensive.
“My father trusted it.”
“So did I.”
“What changed?”
“Someone started rewriting the digital logs.”
I frowned.
“Can you prove it?”
“Yes.”
My pulse quickened.
“Where?”
“In a notebook.”
“A paper notebook?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever is doing it controls the electronic system.”
That made sense.
“Do you still have it?”
“No.”
“Where is it?”
He looked at the hospital hallway.
“Vaughn took it.”
My heart sank.
“You're sure?”
“I saw him.”
“When?”
“The day before you fired me.”
I stared.
That meant Vaughn had known.
Maybe before I did.
Maybe the late arrivals had been used as an excuse.
Maybe the real reason Declan was removed was because he had gotten close.
I stood.
“I need to go to Lynwood.”
Declan shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because if Vaughn realizes I told you, you'll be next.”
I looked at him.
“Are you threatening me?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I'm warning you.”
I sat back down.
Chloe came around the corner.
She had heard everything.
She looked at Declan.
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“I didn't know who to trust.”
She looked at me.
“You trust him?”
I thought.
“Yes.”
The word surprised me.
Declan looked away.
Chloe smiled faintly.
“That makes two of us.”
Later that night, I returned to Lynwood alone.
Vaughn was still in the building.
He stood outside my office.
“You disappeared.”
“I had a personal matter.”
“I heard Whitford caused a scene at Bellman's.”
“Who told you?”
He smiled.
“The entire city will know by morning.”
I studied him.
“What do you know about Declan?”
“Not much.”
“His daughter has a medical condition.”
“So?”
“You knew he had to drop her at school.”
Vaughn shrugged.
“Everyone has problems.”
I felt cold.
“Why did his HR documents disappear?”
His face didn't change.
“What documents?”
I stared at him.
“Exactly.”
He smiled.
“You're tired.”
“Maybe.”
“You should go home.”
He walked away.
I waited until he disappeared.
Then opened Declan's old employee file.
Three late arrivals.
All coded.
All approved.
Then revoked.
The same administrator's credentials had been used.
Vaughn's assistant.
I copied the records.
Then I found something else.
A shipping authorization.
Signed by me.
I hadn't signed it.
My digital signature had been duplicated.
The shipment was headed not to Charleston.
But to a private warehouse in Baltimore.
My blood went cold.
Someone was redirecting company cargo under my identity.
And if the authorities discovered it, I would be responsible.
I called Declan.
He answered immediately.
“What's wrong?”
“Someone forged my signature.”
Silence.
“On what?”
“A shipping authorization.”
“How many?”
“I don't know.”
He whispered:
“Then you need to assume there are more.”
“Can you help me?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
“Even after today?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His voice softened.
“Because you shouldn't have to lose everything because you didn't know.”
I closed my eyes.
May you like
The man I had fired was now the only person willing to help me save the company.
And I had a terrible feeling the person destroying Lynwood knew that too.
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