Chapter 5

Then he scoffed defensively.

"Then explain it!"

"Why are you the only one on the entire team with a complete backup?"

I replied:

"Because I'm the only one on this team with a functioning brain."

Someone snorted a laugh in the back, then quickly choked it down.

Marcus's face darkened further.

"Chloe, watch your attitude."

I looked at Marcus.

"Marcus, my attitude is saintly."

"Anyone else in my position would have already called the cops."

Paige flinched violently.

"The cops?!"

Her voice went shrill.

"These are internal company files! Why would you call the police?!"

I pinned her with my eyes.

"Because intentionally destroying commercial data to inflict corporate damages is a criminal offense."

"You know better than anyone how much funding is on the line today."

Her face turned whiter than paper.

Tyler stepped forward to block her from my view.

"Stop terrorizing her!"

"What does an intern know about corporate liability?"

I said:

"She didn't know when she hit delete."

"She'll figure it out when she's sued for damages."

"Chloe!"

Marcus roared.

"I'm saying this for the last time!"

"Save the pitch first!"

"Everything else will be dealt with afterward!"

I held up my hands.

"Fine."

"Under three conditions."

Marcus gritted his teeth. "Name them."

"First: Today's pitch uses my backup, and the deck attribution cannot be changed."

"Second: An incident report for this data loss is drafted right now, and everyone signs it."

"Third: Once the pitch is over, IT sends the audit logs to the entire team."

Paige shook her head, weeping.

"No... please don't."

"It's not that I'm afraid of an investigation."

"It's just that there are so many people here today."

"If the investors find out, it'll make Marcus look terrible!"

I looked at Marcus.

"Marcus, look at that."

"She's so thoughtful."

Marcus's face alternated between green and pale.

He didn't want to sign, of course.

He was the one who had insisted on giving Paige admin rights in the first place.

But the investors were pulling up.

He had no cards left to play.

"Sign it," he ordered the room.

"Sign the incident report right now."

"Anyone who wastes another second can say goodbye to their performance review."

Muttering broke out across the room.

"We never should have let Paige touch the files."

"I went home last night thinking everything was safe."

"What the hell did she actually delete?"

Paige's face twisted with humiliation.

She clamped a hand over her mouth and bolted out of the room toward the restroom.

Tyler moved to chase after her.

Marcus barked:

"Stay right where you are!"

"You're greeting the investors!"

Tyler froze.

He looked at me, his eyes brimming with silent accusation, as if blaming me for being heartless.

I didn't give a damn.

I plugged my laptop into the projector.

Opened my private cloud drive.

Every file appeared, crisp and complete.

The master pitch.

Financial projections.

Demo videos.

Client case studies.

Risk management blueprints.

A collective sigh of relief washed over the entire room.

Even Marcus breathed easier.

He leaned in and whispered to me,

"Chloe, wouldn't we have avoided all this drama if you'd just brought this out earlier?"

I looked at the screen.

"Marcus."

"If I had brought it out earlier, people would still be claiming I staged the whole thing."

"This way is much better."

"Now everyone knows exactly who can't survive without whom."

He choked on his words.

9:30 AM on the dot.

The investors walked through the double doors.

I stood up.

Grabbed the clicker.

Tyler stood by the doorway, looking miserable.

I didn't spare him a glance.

I looked across the table at the panel of investors.

"Good morning, everyone."

"I'll be walking you through our project pitch today."

At that moment, Paige was still hiding in the bathroom stall.

She honestly thought that crying her eyes out would shield her from the fallout.

She had no idea.

The real reckoning had only just begun.