Chapter 25 The Locked Drawer

Chapter 25 The Locked Drawer
Emma was going through Cole’s desk files, making sure everything was in order before the day’s meetings started. Her fingers were rifling through papers when something unusual caught her eye. A folder, sitting neatly on top of the stack, but she didn’t recognize it. The label wasn’t like the others. She frowned.

“Now, why is this here?” she muttered, picking it up.

The folder felt heavier than the usual ones. She opened it, flipping through the contents. Contracts, invoices, and a few internal memos, nothing she had handled before. Her stomach tightened.

“This… this shouldn’t be on my desk,” she whispered to herself. She glanced around the quiet office. Nobody was near, not that anyone should have been meddling with Cole’s stuff anyway.

She bit her lip and closed the folder, holding it tightly. “Okay, think, Emma. Did I put this here? No. I didn’t even open the drawer this morning.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by Cole’s voice. “Emma, come here.”

Her heart jumped. She straightened quickly and tucked the folder under her arm. “Yes, Mr. Harrington?”

Cole was standing by his desk, checking his watch. “That folder, give it to me.”

Emma froze. “Which one?” she asked carefully.

“The one from my locked drawer. The Grayridge contracts,” he said, his voice calm but sharp.

Her stomach sank. She looked down at the folder in her hand. Her pulse quickened. “This one?” she asked, slowly holding it out toward him.

Cole’s eyes flicked to it and then back to her. “Yes. How did you get this?”

Emma’s mind raced. She had found it on her desk. “I… I didn’t take it, sir. It was on my desk when I arrived. I don’t know how it got there.”

Cole’s gaze sharpened. He leaned back against his desk and folded his arms. “You didn’t open my locked drawer?”

“No, sir. I promise. I didn’t touch your drawer,” she said quickly, hoping he’d believe her.

He didn’t answer right away. Just studied her, quiet, sharp, like he was weighing her every word. Emma felt her chest tighten under that stare.

“I see,” he said finally. “So you’re saying someone else put it here?”

Emma hesitated. “I… I don’t know. I just found it. It wasn’t here yesterday when I left.”

Cole’s eyes narrowed. “You’re absolutely sure you didn’t open the drawer?”

“Yes, sir. Absolutely sure,” she said firmly, though her hands were starting to shake.

He straightened, taking the folder from her. He flipped it open, scanning the pages. “Hmph. Interesting.”

Emma swallowed, trying to calm herself. “Sir?”

“I need to know how this folder ended up on your desk,” Cole said, his voice steady but with a note of suspicion she couldn’t ignore.

“I… I really don’t know,” Emma said, keeping her tone flat. “I didn’t touch your drawer at all. I just… found it this morning.”

Cole closed the folder with a snap and set it on his desk. He leaned on the edge, studying her carefully. “Emma, pay attention. This folder is sensitive. It’s not something anyone outside of my immediate circle should be handling.”

“I understand, sir. I would never take anything without permission,” she said, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tapped the folder lightly with his finger. “And yet, here it is. On your desk.”

Emma’s stomach dropped. “I don’t know how it got there, sir. I swear.”

Cole’s gaze didn’t waver. “Are you suggesting someone is trying to set you up?”

“I… I don’t know, sir. I just found it,” she said, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

He finally leaned back, letting out a slow breath. “Alright. For now, we’ll assume that’s true. But I need you to be extremely careful. No more mistakes, Emma. No more accidents.”

“Yes, sir,” she said quickly.

Cole nodded once and returned his attention to the folder, flipping through pages again. Emma stood there for a moment, feeling like she was walking on a tightrope. Every movement, every word mattered now.

After a few moments, she cleared her throat. “Sir… should I put it back in the drawer?”

Cole looked at her, his expression unreadable. “I’ll handle that. For now, just… stay out of my way on this. And keep your desk clear of anything that doesn’t belong there.”

“Yes, sir,” Emma said again. She stepped back, heart racing, and returned to her desk.

As she sat down, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. How had that folder ended up on her desk? Who could have done this? And most importantly… was someone watching her?

Her eyes darted around the office. Everyone else had gone to lunch hours ago. The floor was empty

Emma leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly. She tried to focus on her own work, opening a fresh file and pretending nothing had happened. But her mind kept drifting back to the folder, to Cole’s sharp gaze, to the possibility that she was being set up.

A flicker of doubt crossed her. She had been careful, meticulous, always following protocol. Yet here she was, feeling like a suspect in her own office.

She tapped her pen against the desk nervously. “Who would do this? Why?”

The question hung in the air, unanswered. She glanced toward Cole’s office, but he was busy flipping through documents. His expression was calm, but Emma knew better than to trust appearances.

She shook her head and tried to refocus. For now, she would do exactly what he said. Stay out of the way, keep her desk clean, and watch everything around her.

Emma hadn’t been able to focus since discovering the folder on her desk. Every keystroke felt heavy, her eyes flicking to the office door every few minutes. She knew Cole could call her in at any second. And then he did.

“Emma,” Cole’s voice came from the doorway.

She jumped slightly, nearly dropping the pen she was holding. “Yes, Mr. Harrington?” she asked, trying to sound normal.

“Close your files and come with me,” he said, walking toward her. His tone was calm, but there was a hardness in his eyes that made her stomach twist.

Emma stood, tucking the folder back under her arm carefully. “Sir… about that..”

“I want to talk in my office,” he interrupted, his gaze fixed on her. “Now.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, following him quickly.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Cole’s expression sharpened. “Explain.”

Emma swallowed. “Explain what, sir?”

“The folder,” he said, leaning against his desk. “The one from my locked drawer that appeared on your desk.”

“I… I already told you,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I found it there this morning. I didn’t touch your drawer.”

Cole crossed his arms. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes, sir,” she said firmly. “I didn’t open your drawer. I didn’t move anything.”

He didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at her, the silence stretching long enough for her nerves to fray.

“Emma,” he finally said, his voice low, “this is a very sensitive folder. You know that. I need to know exactly how it got to you.”

“I really don’t know,” she said, her hands twisting in front of her. “I checked my desk when I came in, and it was… there. I did
n’t touch your locked drawer. I swear.”

Cole’s eyes narrowed. “You’re very sure about that?”

“Yes, sir. I promise.”