Chapter 27 : Heated Accusation

Chapter 27 : Heated Accusation
A few days later, Emma was at her desk, organizing the last of the day’s invoices, when Cole’s office door slammed open. She looked up just in time to see him stride toward her, a manila folder clutched tightly in his hand. His expression was sharp, eyes narrowing as he stopped beside her chair.

“Emma,” he said, dropping the folder onto her desk with a loud thud. Papers rattled, and a few slips fell to the floor. “Explain this.”

Emma blinked, heart skipping a beat. “Explain what, Mr. Harrington?”

Cole’s gaze drilled into her. “Don’t play dumb. This,” he gestured at the folder, “was supposed to be locked. Yet somehow, it ended up on your desk.” He leaned closer, voice low and dangerous. “Financials. I want to know how you got access to them.”

Emma swallowed hard. “I..I don’t understand. I didn’t touch them. I wouldn’t even know how to..”

“Wouldn’t know how to?” Cole interrupted sharply. “That’s convenient, isn’t it?” He lifted a piece of paper from the folder and waved it in front of her. “Transaction were altered, someone had to do this, someone who had access.”

Emma’s hands clenched in her lap. “I didn’t do it. I swear. I was in the accounting files yesterday, but only the ones assigned to me. I didn’t open anything else.”

Cole’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You expect me to believe that?” His tone was calm, almost too calm, but there was an edge to it that made Emma shiver. “Because right now, the evidence points the other way.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t care what the papers say. I know I didn’t touch them.”

He picked up the folder, flipping it open to the section he was pointing at. “Look at this, numbers don’t lie. Someone made changes, and the logs show the time stamp overlaps with when you were on the system.”

Emma’s chest tightened. “That could be anyone who logged in with my credentials. I didn’t..”

“You had access,” Cole interrupted. “You’re the only one who should have been here at that time. That makes you the primary suspect.”

Emma froze. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Cole’s eyes softened ever so slightly, not enough to be comforting, but enough to make her heart race. “Say the truth, Emma. Tell me you didn’t do it.”

“I didn’t!” Her voice cracked slightly, but she tried to keep it steady. “I promise, I wouldn’t touch things I’m not supposed to. You know me, you know I do my job.”

Cole leaned against the edge of her desk, folding his arms. “Do I? Because right now, I’m not sure. That’s the problem, I need absolute honesty from you, or this could get ugly.”

Emma swallowed, feeling the weight of the accusation. She didn’t flinch. “I’m telling you the truth. I didn’t touch those files. Someone is trying to set me up.”

Cole raised an eyebrow. “Set you up?” His tone was skeptical, but he didn’t dismiss her outright. “You really think someone would go to the trouble of framing you?”

“Yes,” Emma said firmly. “Someone wants me to look guilty. I don’t know who, but it wasn’t me.”

Cole ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Emma, you have to understand how this looks. From the logs, the timestamps, and your access… it’s convincing.”

“I get that,” she admitted, keeping her voice calm. “But you know me, i don’t make mistakes like this.”

Cole’s gaze was sharp, piercing. “Do I?”

“Yes,” she said, locking eyes with him. “You do.”

He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he studied her, his expression unreadable. The tension was almost unbearable, and Emma could feel herself trembling slightly.

Finally, he straightened and spoke, voice lower now, controlled but dangerous. “Alright. I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself. You fix this. You find out who did this, and you make it right. Or…” He let the sentence hang in the air, a warning heavy with meaning.

Emma nodded quickly. “I understand. I’ll handle it.”

Cole picked up the folder again and tapped it on the desk. “Good. Because if this isn’t sorted out, I can’t protect you. And trust me, I won’t hesitate to act if I have to.”

“I won’t let you down,” she said, determination sparking despite the fear twisting in her stomach.

He studied her for a moment longer, then finally leaned back against the desk. “I hope not. I really do.”

Emma exhaled slowly, trying to steady her racing heart. Cole didn’t say anything more. He just turned and walked back to his office, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

Alone, she looked at the folder, the papers that had seemed so threatening just minutes ago. She touched them cautiously, almost as if they might bite. Her mind raced—who could have done this? And why target her?

She tapped her pen nervously against the desk, trying to think. She couldn’t let him see her panic. Not after what he’d just said.

Her phone buzzed. It was Maria, checking in.

“Emma? Everything okay? You look stressed in your text,” Maria’s voice was soft.

“I… I’m fine,” Emma said quickly. “Just a long day.”

“You sound like it,” Maria said. “Do you want me to come by after work?”

Emma hesitated. “No, I’ll handle it. Just… thanks.”

She hung up and rubbed her temples. Cole’s words replayed in her head: You fix this. Or… Or what? She didn’t want to think about that. She had to focus. She opened the folder again, scanning the altered financials.

She started typing notes, cross-checking the changes with the original logs. Every so often, she muttered under her breath. “No, that can’t be… wait—this timestamp…”

“Emma?” A quiet voice startled her. She looked up to see Martin, one of the junior analysts, standing awkwardly by her desk. “Uh… I just wanted to ask—those files. Are you… okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said firmly. “Just trying to figure something out.”

He nodded, glancing at the folder. “That looks… intense.”

“It is,” she said, returning to her notes. “But I’ll manage.”

Martin hesitated. “I mean… if you need help, I can—”

“No, thanks. I need to see this myself,” she said, trying to sound confident. She didn’t need anyone else getting involved—not yet.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he left, muttering something about grabbing coffee. Emma exhaled, relief and frustration mixing. She had to keep going. She had to prove herself.

An hour later, she heard the familiar click of Cole’s heels on the floor. She didn’t look up immediately, keeping her focus on the spreadsheet.

“Emma,” Cole said, standing behind her chair.

She froze. “Yes, Mr. Harrington?”

He leaned slightly, glancing at the papers she’d highlighted. “How’s it going?”

“Going,” she said cautiously. “I’m comparing the logs and the changes. There are some inconsistencies—timestamps that don’t make sense. I think someone else accessed the files.”

Cole’s eyes narrowed. “Someone else? You’re saying someone tampered with the logs?”

“I… I don’t know who,” she admitted. “But it wasn’t me.”

Cole’s gaze sharpened. “Explain this,” he said, pointing to a line of entries. “These were altered during your login time.”

Emma bit her lip, searching for the right words. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I did it. Someone could have used my credentials. Maybe an admin override, maybe a mistake. I need to trace it fully.”

Cole’s eyes were intense. “You understand what’s at stake, right?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension. “I won’t let this ruin me, I’ll find the truth.”

He studied her a moment longer. “Good, because if you don’t…” His tone dropped, calm but sharp, like a blade. “…I won’t be able to protect you. This could end your career.”