Chapter 7 - The Number That Changed Everything
One year later, Raymond Saxton stood in front of hundreds of employees.
The annual company meeting was normally about profits.
Growth.
Expansion.
Numbers.
But this year was different.
"Lark Denning."
Everyone turned.
She walked onto the stage.
A year earlier, nobody knew her.
Now she was the youngest director in Saxton Group history.
Raymond handed her the microphone.
"When she entered this company, she was temporary."
A few people smiled.
"But temporary people are often ignored."
He looked at her.
"And sometimes the person everyone ignores is the person who sees everything."
The room applauded.
Later that evening, Raymond and Lark stood outside the building.
The city lights reflected against the glass.
"You know," Lark said, "when I found that first number, I thought I was just fixing an accounting mistake."
Raymond looked at her.
"You weren't."
"What was I fixing?"
He smiled slightly.
"My mistake."
She frowned.
"Your mistake?"
"Yes."
He looked toward the city.
"I spent years believing trust was something people had to earn from me."
A pause.
"But I forgot sometimes you have to recognize it when it appears."
Lark smiled.
"And now?"
Raymond looked at her.
"Now I know."
The woman who entered his company as a temporary worker had found the missing millions.
But more importantly…
She had found the one thing Raymond Saxton had lost years ago.
Someone he could trust.
May you like
And this time, he wasn't going to let her disappear.
THE END
