His Collateral

Chapter 33

I sat at the long, polished table in the board room, surrounded by my team, as we pored over the company's financial report for the third year in a row. The fluorescent lights above seemed to hum in sync with the quiet murmurs of the staff as we scrutinized every detail. So far, everything seemed to be in order.

That was until Liam, the team lead, cleared his throat to get my attention. "Mrs. Rossi, can I show you something?" he asked.

My curiosity piqued, I nodded, and Liam handed me a thick file. I took it, feeling the weight of the papers within, and began to flip through the pages. As I scanned the documents, he started to explain.

"It appears we had some unusual activity on our accounts," he said, his voice low and serious. "Large sums of money had been deposited into our account at irregular intervals over the past year."

I looked up at Liam. "Can you tell me about sales during those periods?" I asked

He nodded, his expression thoughtful. "From last year's report, a lot of sales were made during those periods and the amounts are almost identical to the transactions we're investigating."

If sales were made during those periods, it could explain the transactions.

"Well, even if sales were made during those periods, it wouldn't hurt to be sure. I want you and your team to trace both the accounts from which the sales were generated and where these transfers were made from."

Liam nodded, his expression serious. "We'll get on it right away ma'am."

"Report back to me as soon as you have any information."

With that, I gathered the file and stood up, my chair scraping against the floor. I left the meeting room, the file clutched tightly in my hand.
As I walked back to my office, I couldn't help but wonder what we would find out.

Was it simply a case of successful sales, or illegal money? Only time would tell.

I settled into my office, the file still clutched in my hand, and picked up the phone to dial Marco's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Bella what's up? Any news?" He asked

"2023." I answered getting straight to the point.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I wondered if I had lost the connection.

"What do you mean 2023?" Marco asked, his voice cautious.

I took a deep breath before explaining. "I mean the year 2023. Thousands of dollars were paid into our company account at different intervals last year, totaling to some millions."

Marco's sigh was audible over the phone, a low, drawn-out sound that spoke volumes.

"Bella..." he started, his voice trailing off.

"I'm on my way," he said.

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Okay."

Marco cut the call, and I was left sitting in silence, the only occasional clicks of my keyboard and the quiet bustle of the city below.

About half an hour later, Marco arrived at the office, his expression somber. We exchanged a small hug, a brief moment of comfort before diving into the seriousness of the situation. He took the file and flipped through the pages, his brow furrowed in concentration.

After a few moments, he looked up at me, his eyes locking onto mine. "What are you doing about this?" he asked, his voice firm but controlled.

I took a deep breath before explaining. "We haven't drawn any conclusions yet. The money could be a result of sales, as the sales record indicates a matching amount between the sales figures and the transactions listed in this file."