Chapter 2

The next day, Supervisor Finch from the audit department came straight to my desk with two employees, his face cold.

Georgia Chavez trailed in right behind them.

"Nova, put down whatever you're working on."

Finch rapped his knuckles on my desk, loud enough that the whole floor turned to look at once.

"Supervisor Finch, is something wrong?"

I stopped and got to my feet.

"Someone has filed a formal report accusing you of taking bribes."

Finch stared me down.

The coworkers around me started murmuring at once, and every eye on me had changed.

I didn't flinch. I denied it flat out.

"I haven't taken money from anyone. Where's your proof?"

That was when Georgia stepped out from behind Finch, looking at me with a face full of heartbreak.

"Nova, stop hiding it!"

"Yesterday I saw it with my own eyes. A supplier handed you a black plastic bag downstairs."

"You brought it up here and stuffed it into the very bottom drawer of your desk!"

Georgia's eyes were rimmed red, her voice low but pitched so everyone could hear it.

"Nova, I know your brother needs money for his surgery, and fast."

"But you can't hurt the company to get it!"

The same words as in my last life.

I let out a cold laugh and threw the question back at her.

"Georgia, you saw it with your own eyes?"

"Yes! I saw it myself!"

Her tone was dead certain. She turned to Finch.

"Supervisor Finch, just search it and you'll know."

Finch nodded and pointed at my drawer.

"Nova, cooperate with the investigation. Open the drawer."

"On what grounds? This is my private workspace."

I put up the resistance a normal person would, on purpose.

"If we have to force it open, that changes the nature of things entirely."

Finch didn't mince words.

I clenched my teeth, dug out my key, bent down, and opened the bottom drawer.

The second it slid open, Georgia's eyes lit up.

She even leaned in a step, eager to watch me go down in flames.

But the drawer came open on nothing.

Two unopened packs of printer paper and a few folders. Nothing else.

Dead silence in the office.

Finch frowned and reached in himself, turning everything in the drawer upside down.

There really was no black plastic bag, and certainly no hundred grand in cash.

"Where's the money?"

Finch turned and fixed a hard look on Georgia.

The color drained from her face in an instant.

She stared at the empty drawer in disbelief, stammering.

"That's impossible! I watched her put it in there yesterday!"

Her head snapped toward me, her eyes full of panic and accusation.

But she didn't dare say it outright.

"Georgia, where exactly is this money you're talking about?"

I crossed my arms and looked at her coldly.

"One 'I saw it with my own eyes' from you, and you march the auditors over to tear apart my desk."

"Now nothing's turned up. Don't you owe me an explanation?"

Sweat broke out on Georgia's forehead, and she suddenly jabbed a finger at me, shouting.

"You must have moved the money out ahead of time!"

My voice stayed calm.

"Got proof? Let's see it."

Georgia was left with nothing to say.

Finch's face went ashen. A wasted trip made him feel he'd lost face.

He gave me a long look.

"The audit department will keep investigating this."

"Nova Sutton, until it's cleared up, you'll cooperate with our work."

With that, he turned and walked off, his people with him.

Georgia shot me a vicious glare and followed after him, seething with resentment.