MY FOREVER LOVE

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

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

ice and walked the remaining two blocks. The building was dark except for the security light near the entrance. After ascending the elevator through the un

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.

Before she could reach it, the office door swung open. A tal

aid. "You shou

pany's operations manager. "I needed some

"It's not safe. The p

hen why are these payments

ed. "That's not

folder into her

ut, grabbing her wri

toward the door. "Tell me

ed out his phone and dialed a numb

printing into the alley. Behind her, she heard Daniel shout, but she didn't stop. She

Martin: "Don't go to the offic

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

anyone followed them, but the streets remained clear. When they reached her apartment bu

n 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

Martin again. This

ou?" His voi

und something. Invoices

tin sounded frustrated. "I to

e said. "He tried to s

The company's ope

call before I ran. His beh

efully. Don't go anywhere. Don't ta

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

Open

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

at you foun

ments, his frown deepening. After a minute, he pu

"If these are fake invoice

framed him,"

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

nown n

before answe

top digging, Ariana. Or your fathe

ne wen

Outside, Martin's car engine sta

ing in her mind. The evening light was fading through her small apartment win

again. This tim

ticket. I'll be at

screen. "No. Stay in your dorm. T

antly. "He's my dad

with Kiara's stubbornness right now. Getting up, she walked to the kitch

r jacket and headed back out into the cooling

acket leaning against a lamppost. He wasn't looking at her, but something about the

ced back, the

was being paranoid. Still, she changed direction and headed towar

making her jump. It was

e answered

aid, "Miss Ross, we should talk.

is th

at the diner on 5th and Maple.

could be a trap. But what choice

k where she could see the door. The place was half-empty - ju

gray suit entered. He scanned the ro

into the booth across from h

r than she first thought, maybe in

you?" she

th about your father's arrest." He pulled a folded docum

k statement showing large transfers from

e," she said

urse it is. But it's the eviden

ou showing

helped create these documents. And for th

d. "You're admitting t

ss, Miss Ross. Now, can you raise two

in disbelief. "T

tood up, adjusting his suit jacket. "Th

nt crumpling in her shaking hands. She had three days to fi