CHAPTER 159 : MR. EMBEZZLEMENT

*Five Years Later*

The sound of polished shoes resounded against the floor as Bryan and Aiden walked side by side, their clothes perfectly ironed and neat.

"Any updates?" Aiden asked Ryker, who was just a step behind, without looking back.

"There is something you need to see," Ryker told him and stepped forward, now walking side by side with them as he handed a file to each of them.

Bryan and Aiden took the files as they walked, flipping through the pages as they carefully went through what they were seeing.

The deeper they read, the slower their pace became. Something was obviously wrong, and the numbers weren't adding up.

Bank transfers that shouldn't exist, and the discrepancies were hidden well, and it was hidden all too well.

Bryan and Aiden both came to a stop at the same time, Ryker stopping beside them as they turned to face each other.

"Who is it?" Aiden asked, his voice sharp and his tone unfriendly.

"Someone in our pack," Ryker said, flipping open another file and handing it to them. "His name is Hendrick."

Bryan and Aiden took the new document and scanned it through, while Ryker continued with the information he was going to give to them.

"He works in the accounting division and has been skimming money off the top for at least a year. Small amounts are spread across different accounts to avoid any suspicion. That's a smart move, but not smart enough to prevent him from being caught because, over time, it adds up. Hundreds of thousands."

Bryan's jaw tightened, but he remained calm and asked, "How did he do it?"

Exhaling, Ryker gave them an answer. "Fake consulting fees, falsified invoices, payroll manipulation, and he even approved vendor payments to companies that don't exist."

"I checked thoroughly, and those companies do not exist," Ryker added. "At first, the numbers looked clean. But when I ran a secondary check on large transactions over the past seven months, something stood out."

"And where is the money going?" Bryan asked as he flipped a page.

"Three offshore accounts, all under different names, but they all trace back to him," Ryker replied, not finding any of it funny. "He moves them into ghost accounts, accounts that shouldn't exist under our financial system. He funnels small amounts from different areas so it wouldn't trigger any red flags. He did a lot to cover it all up, but it still adds up."

"Wow," Bryan laughed, although it was a sarcastic and dangerous laugh. "I'll tell you, he has guts. Guts to steal from us."

"A lot of them," Aiden adds, closing the file and handing it back to Ryker. Then, calmly and with such sophisticated ease, he unbuttoned his sleeve cuffs and rolled them up.

"Change of plans," he said, his voice velvety but deadly. "Why don't we pay our little friend a visit."

The drive back to the pack from one of their many companies was quiet, but the air inside the car was loud. Streets blurred past the tinted windows, but none of that was taking their thoughts off Mr. Embezzlement.

After a while, Aiden leaned back and rolled his sleeves up further, while Bryan flipped through the files one last time, even though he knew what it contained.

By the time they reached the pack borders and drove inside, a decision had already been made.

The SUV rolled to a stop, and the three of them stepped out, walking down to Hendrick's home.

As they walked through the pack, pack members greeted them out of respect, stepping out of their way.

"Alpha," a few greeted with respectful nods, and Bryan gave them a small nod in return, Aiden, barely acknowledging them as they were the least of his problems at that time.

Finally, they reached Hendrick's home and noticed that the lights were on. It was currently daytime, and someone was home.

Aiden did the honors of knocking once, then twice, but no answer. Then, they heard the locks click, and the moment the door opened-

CRACK.

Aiden's fist connected hard with Hendrick's face, sending him stumbling backward with a pained and strangled gasp.

Afterward, the door swung wide as Aiden stepped inside with such calm demeanor, his deadly presence filling the space.

Bryan entered soon after, but Ryker decided to stand at the door to watch and enjoy the scene that was about to unfold.

"You have made a terrible mistake, my friend," Aiden said ever so softly as he wiped his knuckles against his palm, tilting his head.

"That was just a welcome gift. Do not move from your current position," Aiden ordered, but instead of listening to the order given, Hendrick groaned while clutching his bleeding nose and moved back out of fear, his eyes darting between them.

"Alphas," he said, raising a trembling hand as if trying to stop the inevitable from happening. "Please wait, I can explain!"

"It's just…" Bryan started. "I don't understand why you would risk your life in such a stupid way. A very stupid way, for that matter. Extremely stupid thing to do. Why?" He asked, taking a slow step forward.

"We pay you more than enough, don't we? You cannot say we don't, because I know we do. I make sure my pack members have everything they need. So now tell me, why would you choose to live in fear?" He questioned, his gaze cold. "Because now that I think about it, you always seemed or is it looked scared whenever we were around."

Letting out a small chuckle, Aiden shook his head. "So that is why you always acted so jumpy. I really thought I was the only one who noticed it." Then he crouched slightly, his piercing stare meeting Hendrick's frightened gaze.

"For someone who loves to steal, I strongly suggest you learn how to be brave. Not a scared little cat shaking every time you see who you stole from."

"You know I should have known," Aiden added, standing back up straight. "I should have known, but I ignored it. That was my mistake."

Hearing that, Hendrick's breath hitched, and next thing, he was on his knees.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, bowing his head. "Please, please, Alphas, I wasn't thinking. It was a mistake!"

"I accept, I was greedy. I-I swear, Alphas, I will return everything. Everything, please. Just give me a chance! I will return everything," he pleaded, his hands shaking as he pressed them together. "Please, please. I'm sorry. I haven't touched any of the money yet; my salary, I- I, I will return it all."

"Oh, trust me," Aiden said, his voice laced with dark amusement as he stared down at Hendrick. "You will return it all back."