4

Adrien felt his stomach drop. He had no idea about this conversation. The last meeting? Revising budgets? He was completely lost. But he couldn't show it. "Oh yes, of course. We have indeed taken market fluctuations into account. I'll send you the details after this meeting, Bauer. There are a few adjustments that we are finalizing. »

Bauer stared at him, wordless. He seemed to weigh each word, as if trying to detect a flaw. Adrien forced himself to remain calm, to maintain his straight and assured gaze. *Don't show that you are afraid.*

But Bauer was not fooled. He crossed his arms, leaning forward slightly. "Listen, Vincent... You know that I have always supported your projects. But something feels... different this time. I have the impression that you are less... precise than before. Maybe it's just me, but I wanted to tell you. »

Adrien felt the blood leave his face. He was about to be unmasked. His hands shook slightly under the table, but he forced himself to remain impassive. "I assure you, Bauer, nothing has changed. We are moving forward as planned. If you have any concerns, we can discuss them later, privately. »

Bauer nodded slowly, but his gaze remained wary. Adrien knew he hadn't convinced him. Not yet. But he had to hold on.

The meeting continued, Adrien playing his role as best he could. But the feeling of being observed, even scrutinized, did not leave him. Bauer wasn't the only one who noticed something strange. Other members around the table also seemed guarded, although they said nothing.

When the meeting finally ended, Adrien felt like a man emerging from a battlefield. Every muscle in his body was tense. As he left the room, Lucien approached him.

"Well done," he said in a calm voice. "But I have to tell you... Bauer is not an easy man to fool. Be careful. »

Adrien could only nod. He had survived that day, but he knew the next few days were going to be even more trying. Doubts were growing, and it was clear that not everyone was going to be easily fooled.

Adrien settled in for a new day of work in Vincent Delacroix's luxurious office, a daily ordeal that he faced with increasingly fragile determination. The large window behind him offered a stunning view of the city, a stark contrast to the reality he lived every day: this life was a facade he had to maintain at all costs.

That morning, while he was leafing through the documents scattered on his desk, a shadow loomed at the door. It was not Lucien this time, but a younger, stern-looking man. He introduced himself as Nathan, Vincent's personal assistant. "Hello, Vincent," he said sharply, "we have several meetings today, and I would like to make sure you are well prepared. »

Adrien looked up, his gaze falling on this man who already seemed impatient. "Hello, Nathan. Yes, I'm ready. Can you tell me what we have on the agenda for today? »

Nathan entered, closing the door behind him rather abruptly. He placed a file on Adrien's desk, his movements precise and rapid. "We have a meeting with partners from the Asian branch early this afternoon. It is crucial that you are up to date on financial reporting. I heard you've been having some trouble with documents lately. »

A shiver of nervousness ran through Adrien. The last thing he needed was to draw more attention to his weaknesses. " I understand. I will review the reports and make sure everything is in order. »

Nathan crossed his arms, looking skeptical. "I don't want to sound pushy, but Vincent was always very thorough with these documents. Any mistake could cost us dearly. »

Adrien tried to maintain a professional smile, but he felt a ball of stress forming in his stomach. "I'm going to do everything I can to avoid that. Thank you for reminding me. »

Nathan nodded and headed towards the door. Before leaving, he turned around, his scrutinizing gaze falling on Adrien. "And if you need anything, just let me know. But I advise you not to take this lightly. »

Once Nathan left, Adrien plopped down in his chair, wiping an imaginary sweat from his forehead. He knew he had to prepare thoroughly for the upcoming meeting. The Asian partners were not clients with whom he could afford to hurt Vincent's image. The pressure was immense.

He spent the next few hours poring over financial reports, checking forecasts, trying to understand the complexities of the numbers. Everything had become a blur of equations and graphs, but he clung to the idea that if he could master this data, he could at least mask his ignorance. He dove into the documents, analyzing every detail with almost obsessive attention.

Around noon, as he was checking the numbers one more time, his phone rang. It was Lucien. "Vincent, we have to leave for the meeting. I'll pick you up in ten minutes. »

Adrien responded in a firm voice, trying to mask his stress. "Okay, Lucien. I will be ready. »

When he joined Lucien in the car, he did his best to hide his anxiety. Lucien glanced absently at him. "Is everything okay, Vincent? You look worried. »

Adrien smiled weakly. "I'm just getting ready. These numbers are a little complicated, but I'll figure it out. »

Lucien nodded, visibly satisfied with the answer. " Alright. Make sure you stay focused during the meeting. These partners are important for our expansion in Asia. »

The meeting was a test of strength. Adrien spoke as confidently as he could, presenting the financial reports and discussing the forecasts as articulately as possible. The Asian partners listened attentively, their faces impassive. Adrien felt their piercing eyes evaluating him with every word he spoke.

By the end of the meeting he felt exhausted, but he had managed to maintain the appearance of a competent and confident Vincent Delacroix. However, he knew that the slightest mistake could have been catastrophic. He had not yet completely earned the trust of his colleagues, and Nathan, in particular, seemed to be a significant obstacle.

The next day, while he continued to go through Vincent's belongings, Adrien discovered a file hidden behind piles of documents. This folder was slightly more worn than the others, as if it had been handled often. When he opened it, he found confidential documents relating to questionable financial transactions and contracts signed with obscure companies. The numbers and company names were unknown to him, but one thing was clear: there was something very suspicious.

Adrien swallowed hard. Vincent had been involved in deals that seemed more than just risky. These documents spoke of mysterious funds transferred to offshore companies, apparently broken agreements and questionable signatures. It was a secret that Vincent had carefully hidden, and Adrien was beginning to understand why.

He didn't have time to analyze everything in depth before there was a knock on his office door. It was Nathan, again, with an even more stern expression than usual.

"Vincent, there's a problem," he announced without preamble. "We received an audit request from a regulatory body. They want to examine our accounts. »

Adrien felt his heart speed up. The audit was one of a businessman's worst nightmares, and now he was in the thick of it. "When should we receive them? »

" This morning. I advise you to prepare the documents accordingly," Nathan replied, then added in a lower voice, "and make sure everything is impeccable. The listeners are not joking. »

Adrien nodded, trying to hide his dismay. He was having enough trouble juggling Vincent's day-to-day affairs, and now he had to deal with an audit. He rushed through the documents, trying to understand how everything Vincent had hidden could be covered up or explained away. His thoughts were racing. Suspicious funds, obscure transactions... All this had to be arranged quickly to avoid a scandal.

When the listeners arrived, Adrien was ready to weather the storm. He had rearranged the documents, tried to prepare explanations for the anomalies he had found, hoping that would be enough to convince them that everything was under control. The process was long and grueling. Auditors examined every number, every transaction with clinical precision. Adrien had to answer their questions calmly, despite the waves of panic surging through him.