Chapter 14
Jennifer was leaning against the passenger side door of the sedan, holding a warm cup of coffee in her hands. As Julian walked down the steps toward her, she pushed off the vehicle and held out the second cup.
Julian took it, wrapping his cold fingers around the warm ceramic. "You didn't have to drive out here," he said softly, a faint, genuine smile touching the corners of his mouth.
"Someone had to make sure you didn't immediately try to reorganize the highway maintenance budget," Jennifer replied, her eyes bright with dry humor.
Julian laughed—a real, unforced sound that he hadn't heard from himself in years. "I think my corporate restructuring days are officially behind me."
"Good," she said, opening the car door for him. "Because I have a proposition for you."
Julian paused, looking at her with cautious amusement. "What kind of proposition?"
"The independent coalition I've been working with needs someone who understands how shadow ledgers work from the inside," Jennifer explained, sliding into the driver's seat as Julian got in beside her. "Someone who knows every trick, every loophole, and every evasion tactic—and who has finally learned the cost of using them."
Julian placed his coffee cup in the console holder, looking out through the windshield at the open road ahead. The sky was clear, painted in pale shades of amber and blue as the sun climbed above the horizon.
"An auditor?" Julian asked.
"An auditor," Jennifer confirmed, starting the engine. "Starting from the bottom, with a very small budget and absolutely no offshore accounts."
May you like
Julian smiled, resting his hands comfortably on his knees. For the first time in his life, the road ahead wasn't measured by the scale of his ambition or the volume of his empire, but by the simple, enduring value of truth.
"Lead the way," Julian said softly.
