MY FOREVER LOVE

t-stained clothes into a plain black t-shirt and jeans. She grabbed her keys and a sm

phone and saw the next bus to Cross Enterprise's office building would arrive in seven

s who boarded and exited quietly. She kept her head down, her bag clutched tightly on her lap. She got off at the stop closest to the office and walked the remaining two blocks. The building was dark except for the security

led with paperwork. She went straight to the filing cabinet behind it and pulled open the t

al invoices had red marks next to them, along with handwritten notes she didn't recognize. The a

he turned off the flashlight and listened.

re she could reach it, the office door swung open. A tall, middle

id. "You should

ears, oversaw operations, and handled most of the daily affairs. Ariana had never liked him-Tonight,

," she said, keeping

he police might come back. You could be

be you can explain why these paymen

ed. "That's not

older into her ba

ut, grabbing her wri

toward the door. "Tell me

ed out his phone and dialed a numb

ed off the walls as she shoved open the exit door and bolted into the night. She didn't stop running until she w

artin: "Don't go to the office.

st. She hailed a cab and gave the driver her addre

d clear. The driver didn't talk. Ariana stared out the window the entire ride, still clutching her bag. Her mind kept replaying Daniel'

she paid the driver in cash and hurried

one of the chairs spreading the documents out and examined them again. The red-marked invoices were all from a company called "Bracken Supplies"-a name s

artin again. This t

u?" His voice

nd something. Invoices t

in sounded frustrated. "I told

e said. "He tried to s

The company's ope

before I took to my heels. His

fully. Don't go anywhere. Don't talk

ed a smudged stamp-part of an address. She held it up to the light. The first few

n Supplies. Nothing came up. She tried adding the partial address, but st

made her jump. She

?" she

It's

r. Martin stood there in a rumpled suit, his briefcase in

t you found,

ents, his frown deepening. After a minute, he pull

"If these are fake invoice

framed him," s

ut we need proof

stamp. "I tried tracing this.

take time." He gathered the papers. "I'm taking these. You stay inside.

ked the door again and sat on the c

it ra

nown n

before answeri

top digging, Ariana. Or your fathe

e went

Outside, Martin's car engine sta

ng in her mind. The evening light was fading through her small apartment windo

again. This tim

ticket. I'll be at

screen. "No. Stay in your dorm. T

antly. "He's my dad