Chapter 4 - Stepping into the Lion’s Den
My first official day at Voss Hospitality Group headquarters felt like walking across a minefield in a silk dress. Located on the top three floors of a sleek glass tower overlooking the North Saskatchewan River, the corporate offices hummed with expensive efficiency. Adrian introduced me personally to the executive team, though he deliberately kept my exact background vague, introducing me as an independent forensic auditor brought in to streamline regional acquisitions.
Gideon Vale was the first to approach my temporary office—a tall, immaculately groomed man with sharp blue eyes and a smile that never quite reached his eyes. "Ah, the new numbers expert," Gideon murmured, leaning casually against my doorframe while inspecting the cardboard boxes containing my forensic files. "Adrian has high standards, Ms. Marsh. Most consultants from boutique firms don't last six months under his microscope." I looked up from my laptop screen, keeping my expression entirely neutral, remembering the photograph of him handing the kill order to Keith. "I’ve survived worse than corporate microscopes, Mr. Vale," I replied smoothly. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face before his polished mask snapped back into place. Little did he know, I wasn't just auditing hotel receipts—I was hunting for the financial pipeline that tied him directly to Marigold’s ashes.
