Chapter 128: Blanett Corporation (I)

Rosalie:

Friday arrived far sooner than I expected.

The entire week had disappeared beneath bookstore work, training, my increasingly restless wolf, and planning today’s investigation with Kaiser. Even after Eiden told me my first shift was approaching, I had stubbornly pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

Right now, Charlotte was still my priority. Every piece of information pointed toward her quietly funneling money into her brother’s company, but suspicion wasn’t enough. We needed proof - real proof. The kind that would survive scrutiny. The kind that could finally expose what she had been doing behind everyone’s backs.

I adjusted the simple black blazer I wore over a white blouse before glancing sideways at Kaiser. Gone was the polished alpha who always looked like he had stepped out of a business magazine. Today, he looked like the owner of a modest startup trying to attract investors. His expensive watch had been replaced with an ordinary one, his tailored suit traded for a much simpler charcoal outfit, and even his hairstyle had been changed just enough to make him less recognizable.

As for me, I had tied my hair into a low ponytail, wore plain makeup, and carried a leather folder filled with fake business proposals Zaiden’s people had prepared. Standing together in front of the towering headquarters of Blanett Corporation, we looked exactly like two hopeful entrepreneurs attending a corporate exhibition.

"Last chance to back out," Kaiser muttered quietly as we approached the entrance.

I snorted. "You have asked me that five times already."

"I’m aiming for ten."

"I’m still saying no."

His sigh was dramatic enough to make me roll my eyes.

Security was exactly as strict as Zaiden’s informants had predicted. Every visitor had to register before entering, provide identification, and wear a visitor badge throughout the building. One guard carefully examined the identification cards Kaiser had arranged while another compared our faces with the information stored in his tablet.

For one terrifying second, I thought everything was over. Then the guard nodded. "Welcome to the Blanett Corporate Exhibition."

I resisted the urge to let out the relieved breath trapped inside my lungs. The forged identification cards had worked. We stepped through the security gates without another question, and only after we had entered the massive lobby did I finally breathe normally again.

The building was every bit as luxurious as I expected. Marble floors reflected the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, while enormous digital displays advertised the corporation’s newest projects. Representatives greeted visitors with rehearsed smiles, guiding potential investors toward exhibition booths spread across the enormous hall. Everywhere I looked were expensive suits, polite conversations, and carefully manufactured success.

Yet all I could think about was stolen money. Every polished surface suddenly felt fake. Every smiling executive looked suspicious. Somewhere inside this building lay the answers we had spent days chasing.

Kaiser leaned closer without looking at me. "The president’s office is twelve floors above us."

"I know."

"The executive finance department is on the same floor."

"I know."

"We stay together."

I smiled sweetly before replying, "No."

He finally looked at me, confusion taking over his face. "...No?"

"We cover more ground separately." I told him.

His expression immediately hardened. "Absolutely not."

"Kaiser."

"No."

"If we are together, we’ll investigate half as much." I argued.

"If we are together, I know you are not wandering into dangerous situations." He countered.

"I won’t."

"You always do."

I folded my arms. "I have become much more responsible."

He stared at me and I stared back. Neither of us blinked. Eventually, he let out a sigh and muttered. "...You are impossible." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really hate this plan."

"I know."

"If anything happens-"

"I’ll call."

"If someone recognizes you-"

"I’ll leave."

"If you find evidence-"

"I’ll photograph everything."

He looked unconvinced.

I softened my voice just enough. "Kaiser."

After several long seconds, he finally exhaled. "...Thirty minutes."

"What?"

"If we aren’t both back in thirty minutes, I’m coming after you."

"Deal."

He still looked unhappy as we separated near one of the exhibition booths. I waited until he disappeared into the crowd before quietly slipping away in the opposite direction. No one paid attention to a single visitor leaving the exhibition hall, exactly as we’d hoped.

The elevators required executive authorization, but Zaiden’s team had already anticipated that. One of the forged visitor passes carried temporary access permissions copied from an employee attending today’s event. My heart hammered against my ribs as I pressed the card against the scanner.

A green light flashed.

Access granted.

I sighed in relief. The elevator doors slid open. And minutes later, I stepped onto the executive floor. The atmosphere changed instantly. Unlike the bustling exhibition downstairs, this level was almost silent. Thick carpets muffled footsteps, elegant paintings decorated the walls, and expensive wooden doors displayed engraved nameplates beside each office.

Executive Finance.

Chief Operations Officer.

Vice President.

President.

There it was.

I waited patiently until the nearby hallway emptied before crossing toward the largest office. The door wasn’t locked, lucky... or careless. Slipping inside, I quietly closed it behind me.

The office was enormous. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline while dark wooden shelves displayed awards and photographs of business achievements. A massive mahogany desk dominated the center of the room.

I immediately pulled out my phone. Every second counted. The desk drawers yielded nothing except ordinary paperwork. The filing cabinet contained information already available publicly. The bookshelf also held nothing important.

I bit my lip.

Come on... there had to be something.

Then I noticed a locked drawer built into the desk itself. Of course. I crouched beside it before pulling the tiny unlocking tool Zaiden had insisted I carry.

"I hope this works," I whispered.

After several tense attempts...

Click.

The lock released. My pulse quickened. Inside lay several folders labeled only with project codes. I quickly flipped through them - investment records, private financial statements, and bank transfer summaries.

My eyes widened.

The dates... they matched perfectly. The mysterious investments that had rescued the company from collapse were all here. I rapidly photographed page after page, my breathing growing faster with every document.

This was it.

This was exactly what we’d come for.

Then the office door lock clicked. I barely had seconds to put everything inside the locker and close it. The door opened just as I stood up.

"Excuse me." The unfamiliar male voice sent ice through my veins.

Two men stood in the doorway. One appeared to be in his late forties, dressed in an immaculate gray suit. The other, younger and broader, wore an earpiece.

Security.

The older man’s gaze immediately scanned the office before it returned to me before dropping to my visitor badge. His expression immediately turned cold. "What exactly are you doing in the president’s office?"

Every excuse I’d prepared suddenly vanished from my mind. I forced an awkward smile, slipping my phone in my trousers’ back pocket as swiftly as I could. "I... I’m terribly sorry. I think I got lost."

Neither man looked convinced.

"I was looking for the restroom," I continued weakly. "I must have taken the wrong hallway."

The younger man stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him. "There are no public restrooms on this floor."

"...Oh."

"And visitors aren’t authorized to enter executive offices."

"I realize that now."

The older man folded his arms. "You expect us to believe you accidentally wandered into the president’s private office... and somehow got lost?"

My mouth went dry. "I can explain-"

"I don’t think you can." The younger security officer was already reaching toward the radio clipped to his shoulder. "I think," he said flatly, never taking his eyes off me, "it’s time we handed you over to the authorities."