Cole’s POV

I have learned that corruption rarely shouts. It whispers, dresses itself in paperwork, and hides behind digital neatness. The most dangerous frauds are the ones that look immaculate from a distance. That’s what drew my eye to the ledgers at Whitmore Industries, numbers too clean, too disciplined. Elena’s work is precise, but this was sterile, mechanical, lacking her instinct for imperfection. It felt like something designed to look perfect.

The first irregularities were small. ...