CHAPTER 41: The Culprit

Atilla's POV.

"Ok, so we'll start on Monday. Any tips or suggestions that could help us find whoever is embezzling from the company?" I asked Henry over the phone, trying to gather any information that could be helpful.

"Hmmm... there are three possible people who could be the root of the company's losses," he began, which really caught my attention.

"First is the head of finance, Robert Downey..." but before he could finish, he was rudely interrupted by my friend Nicole, who was also listening since I had her on speakerphone.

"No way!" Nicole screamed, and I felt my eardrums almost shatter from the loudness of her voice.

"Hi Nicole, and no, he's not Ironman; he just has the same name," he replied, and I could see the disappointment on her face.

If I wasn't nervous, I would have laughed at my best friend's reaction; she seemed disheartened, and why would a famous celebrity like Robert Downey Jr. work as an employee in my brother's company?

"Ok, the next suspects are Leonard Dela Cruz and Tom Mercado," he finished.

Those were the three people he suspected and wanted Nicole and me to investigate, but it was easier said than done since I didn't even know what position I would have when I started on Monday. I just thought that at least I had a lead to start with.

Henry gave us some more reminders before he ended the call. As Nicole and I got closer to our start date, my nervousness intensified.

Finally, on the day Nicole and I started working at Henry's company, we were briefed by the HR manager about our positions.

To be honest, I didn't understand what she was saying, but all I remembered was that we were going to be assistants to the COO of the company, which was a big deal for me and Nicole.

After the briefing, she directed us to the 23rd floor, where our boss's office was supposed to be. According to the HR manager, the COO's assistant had gone on leave because she was due to give birth soon.

"Do you think our boss will be nice?" Nicole asked after a few minutes of silence between us.

"I don't know, because all I'm thinking about is how we're going to carry out our plan without getting caught," I replied honestly because that was the truth.

Finally, after waiting for almost five minutes, the door to the room where we were waiting opened, and I was shocked to see who walked in.

"Ang?" I hesitated, and he was also surprised to see me based on his reaction.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied.

"Oh, my goodness, what a small world!" I exclaimed.

"Indeed, it is a small world. Who would have thought we'd meet here?" he said happily.

"By the way, what are you..." but I was interrupted by Nicole's cough, and I just remembered that I had company.

"Sorry to interrupt your happy reunion, but just to remind you, I'm still here," she sarcastically said, and I just laughed.

"Sorry, Nicole, this is Ang..." I introduced him to her, but luckily I stopped myself from saying that Ang was the one who saved me when she didn't make it to our meeting place. So, all I said was that I met him at the bar.

I immediately noticed the confusion on Ang's face when he heard what I said.

"Well, nice to meet you, Ang. I'm Nicole, Atilla's best friend," she introduced herself.

When I looked at Ang, it seemed like he had figured out why I lied.

Well, nice meeting you too, Nicole; my name is Angelo Rodriguez, but you can call me Ang," Ang said, followed by a broad smile.

For some reason, I heard a gasp from Nicole, and I stopped myself from smiling because it looked like she immediately liked Ang.

"No way!" I heard Nicole exclaim, so I immediately faced her and saw the surprise on her face.

I was thinking that she might really have taken a liking to Ang, which is a possibility considering how good-looking and likable he is.

"What do you mean, no way, Nicole?" I asked, confused.

"Don't you know who he is?" She asked unbelievingly, further confusing me.

"Didn't he just say his name was Angelo Rodriguez?" I asked her in confusion.

"Tell me the truth, Atilla, did even you listen to the briefing earlier or not?" She asked, raising her right eyebrow.

"Well, I admit that I didn't because I was too nervous, and what does that have to do with...." but I suddenly stopped what I was saying when everything suddenly clicked, and I felt like a lightbulb had just lit up above my head.

We waiting here for our new boss, Ang being here of all places, and Nicole's reaction upon hearing Ang's full name.

"You're our boss?" Even though I was already sure, I still asked him, and he replied with a broad smile.

"Well, I believe so. Welcome to Cervantes Heavy Industries," Ang said to Nicole and me.

I wanted to kick myself in the ass for acting such a fool in front of him.

How was I supposed to know that he would be our boss? "Well, if you had listened earlier, you would surely remember." My other mind whispered.

We followed him to his office, and I suddenly felt Nicole nudge me on the side.

"What?" I whispered without even looking at her.

"I think our boss likes you," she teased, which I ignored because I knew that her matchmaking tendencies were in play again, which I had rejected many times before.

We encountered a beautiful woman who was probably Australian, judging from her appearance, and who was busy looking at her computer. But when we entered, she immediately stood up.

"Vanessa, these are going to be my two new assistants, Nicole and Atilla," Ang introduced us to her.

Ang explained that Vanessa was not really his assistant because the maternity leave of his real assistant only took effect on Friday, so he borrowed a temporary assistant for the day.

After introducing us to Vanessa, she went straight to the office to start working, while Nicole and I started learning what we needed to learn from Vanessa.

Hours passed, and we didn't even realize it because I was enjoying what I was learning from Vanessa. I was surprised when I felt a tap on my shoulder, and when I looked, I saw Ang standing behind me.

"That's enough for now; let's have lunch," he said with a smile.

He also invited Vanessa, but she said that she would be having lunch with her boyfriend. Nicole declined, saying that she was on a diet, but when Ang wasn't looking, I saw the mischievous smile on her face, which meant that she was pushing me to go with Ang.

We didn't go too far because there was a nearby restaurant downstairs, so we ordered in no time.

"So, how are you? I didn't receive a text or call from you," he asked jokingly, but with a hint of truth.

"Sorry, Nicole washed my pants, and the paper you gave me got wet, so I couldn't read it," I explained, and he believed me.

A few minutes later, our orders arrived, and we happily shared them.

"It's really fun being with Ang, and I really enjoy his company," I thought to myself. Suddenly, I remembered what Nicole said about Ang liking me, which made me wonder if I would say yes if he asked me out. However, I immediately dismissed the thought because I felt that he didn't really like me, and I didn't think I was ready to enter into a new relationship.

After lunch, we returned to the office. Ang went back to work while Nicole and I returned to Vanessa's teaching.

"So how was your lunch date with Ang?" She asked me in a hushed tone.

"It's not a date; it's just lunch. Besides, I don't think Ang really likes me like that. He's just a kind person," I replied, totally ignoring her reaction.

The day ended without me realizing it, and we found out that Vanessa would be returning to her original position, which meant that Nicole and I would be helping Ang in the next few days.

The following day, Ang didn't go to work because he had something important to do until Friday, so Nicole and I were left in the office with nothing to do but answer the private line calls for Ang.

This gave me the chance to start my investigation while Nicole was working as Ang's assistant. I tried to approach the suspects' offices, trying to snoop for any information that would tell me if they were really the people causing the company's downfall.

For four days, I did everything I could to find a clue, but by the weekend, I still hadn't found any leads that could prove the guilt of Henry's three suspects.

Even on my day off, all I could think about was finding the evidence I needed to help Henry.

Early Monday morning, I went to work to start my investigation. I received a call from Ang saying that he would arrive around noon.

"What do I need to do?!" I asked myself, frustrated that I hadn't found anything yet. I was surprised when the private line for Ang rang, as it was not yet working hours, but I answered it immediately.

"Good morning, Angelo Rodriguez office, Atilla speaking," I answered.

"Good morning, I'm looking for Mr. Rodriguez," the voice on the other end replied. Based on his accent, I could probably guess that he was Mexican.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rodriguez will not be available until noon. Would you like to leave a message?" I asked.

"Just tell him Raymundo Mendez called and I agreed to his demand," he replied before hanging up.

A few minutes later, Nicole arrived, and at around noon, Ang finally came in. When he heard about the call earlier that morning, his face suddenly brightened.

"Atilla, can you wait in my office, please? I just need to tell you something," he said with a smile at around two o'clock, and I noticed Nicole looking at me again.

When I entered his office, he said he needed to get something from his car, so I was left alone. Suddenly, I heard something coming from his computer, and, out of curiosity, I couldn't help but look at it. I saw a signed contract from Raymundo Mendez, and then I remembered the caller from earlier that morning.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. My eyes widened when I saw what the contract was for.

I quickly returned to my seat when I heard the door open, and Ang came in with a bouquet in his hand, saying, "For the most beautiful lady I have ever met," as he handed me the flowers.

To be honest, I didn't know what to say during those moments, especially after seeing what was on his computer. Thankfully, he thought that I was just surprised by the flowers he gave me.

"I know it's still early, but I want to tell you that I like you, and you don't have to answer yet because I'm willing to wait," he said with a genuine smile on his face.

I didn't say anything in response, so I decided to go back to Nicole. But before I could leave his office, he called me back again.

"By the way, I want you to schedule a meeting with the heads of the department this coming Wednesday, and please call Mr. Cervantes, there will be big changes for this company," he confidently said before I finally closed the door and went back to my own seat.

"I told you Ang is into you," Nicole greeted me with a smile when she saw the flowers I was holding, but her expression changed when she noticed my reaction.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly, as I couldn't help but cry because it was hard to think that the person who saved me was capable of doing something like this.