LARA


HR was starting to suspect the math checked out.

Thursday morning arrived with an email that made my stomach drop and my pulse spike at the same time.

Subject: Informal Discussion – Confidential
From: Priya Shaw, Human Resources

I read it twice, then once more for the passive-aggressive threat underneath the polite wording. Someone had “raised concerns about after-hours conduct on the 14th floor.” No names yet. No formal complaint. Just a “quick chat” scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in the HR conference room.

I spent the morning pretending to work while my mind ran damage assessments. Daniel looked like he hadn’t slept. Marcus avoided my eyes in the break...