Carla stared at her screen, the memo blinking at her like a warning she wasn't supposed to see.
"Effective immediately, CEO Alexander Knight is to be relieved of all company responsibilities pending a mental health evaluation. This decision is confidential and final."
Her heart thudded hard in her chest.
The name at the bottom made her stomach drop.
Gerald Okon.
Senior board member, ruthless, ambitious and one of the few people who had always hated Alex's more emotional leadership style especially when he started getting close to Karen.
Carla's hands moved fast, saving a screenshot of the memo and emailing it to a private folder. Her instincts screamed that if she left it open for even a second, it'd vanish. Just like Karen's records had.
She stepped away from her desk and walked quickly down the hall to the IT room. If someone was trying to bury Alex from within, there had to be more, something digital. A trail.
The hallway lights flickered as she walked.
Once inside, she greeted Femi, the quiet, coffee-addicted tech guy with the wildest gaming headphones she'd ever seen.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound calm. "I need your help. Confidential."
He arched a brow but nodded. "Shoot."
She pulled out her phone. "I think someone forged a suspension memo under Alex's name. Can you check if it was really issued from his email?"
Femi leaned in, now interested. "Give me five minutes."
While he worked, Carla paced. Every minute that passed made her feel like she was peeling back something diseased, something festering just below the company's surface.
Finally, Femi whistled low.
"You were right, that memo wasn't sent from his device or verified email. It was written on a side server, one that shouldn't even be used for internal comms."
Carla's heart dropped. "Someone created a backdoor."
"And they've used it before," Femi added, scrolling fast. "There's more, You're not going to like it."
He turned the screen.
Emails, dozens of them, some flagged, some deleted. All referencing Avalon Resort.
And one in particular chilled her to the bone.
From: [email protected]
To: [REDACTED]
Subject: The girl wasn't supposed to return. Handle it.
Carla stepped back.
Her voice came out small. "Karen."
Femi looked up. "What's going on, Carla?"
She didn't answer.
She just whispered, "I need to get back to Avalon."