A/N: Sorry for the late update,exams just ended. Btw I'm happy to accept the corrections bc I don't even know how a company works, and I almost failed economics woh
The distressing desire on finding the next clue was killing me as I saw the building, up to where I stand alone here in the elevator.
As the doors opened, I briskly walked up to my office, returning morning greetings of the employees as I pass them by.
I stopped walking when Belle greeted me. "Good morning, Ms. Arendelle, all members of the board are waiting for you in the meeting room."
Shit, I forgot.
Wait, meeting is a good thing. I just have to gather everyone to slowly drop the files on them. After that, I guess I'll just search for the clue.
"Good morning, thanks for reminding me. After my meeting with the board, schedule a meeting on every main department, but make the production team first on the list."
"Right away, ma'am."
"Call me when everything's settled, I'll be waiting in my office. Thanks." I tell her with a small smile as I started walking away from her, my shoes leading me to the meeting room.
I barge into the meeting room without any notice as I say, "Okay, let's do this."
As I sat down on my chair, everyone took it as a cue to sit down also. I clasp my hands together as I set it down on the table, "Before you all speak up, let me be the one to break the ice."
Everyone was confused, it made me giggle shortly inside. I slammed the folder on the table, "Scratch the search for fresh ideas, rely on the ice business, even though winter is just around the corner. In regards to the problem of Arendelle, I think I found the reason behind it."
"How'd you find it exactly?" The know-it-all yet genius member of the board, Patricia, said in an arrogant tone. Hearing her voice in that certain tone makes me want to hit her with a book.
I slightly glare at her, my voice stern as I say, "I have my ways, Patricia, and I didn't found it in an illegal way. So don't bother asking how or when." Since I'm slightly pissed, I really wanna follow up the other word for the female dog, but I'll just control myself. Just stay calm, Elsa, stay calm.
I averted my gaze from her and opened the folder, "Back to the topic, the reason why the company's sales are going down to the low rate is because of unknown transactions. Transfer of profits and funds, to be exact."
I slid the folder across the table so everyone can see it, faces of disbelief immediately appeared as they saw the files, "Our products are still on stores, nationwide and worldwide. I just visited a mall yesterday and pretended to buy it, and guess what? It was sold out, and their delivery is in two days from now. We are shipping out the buffer stock, soon we'll have to produce again."
"Yes, we have a partnership with the Overland and the cost is divided, but we can't rely on them forever. If this continues, there will be a possibility of debt, and we'll be out of business in no time. What I'm saying is we need to find who's behind this, and retrieve the transacted - wait, no, stolen money."
I cleared my throat as I lean back on the chair, "All I'm sure about is that someone inside or outside the company is doing this, not that I'm thinking he/she is in here, but maybe you all get the gist of it. So, any thoughts about what I'm talking about?" I crossed my arms, firmly scanning their faces.
"Just talk to your boyfriend, he would understand your struggle, right?" Patricia smugly said with a smile that irritated me while flipping her brown hair to emphasize what she meant.
"Ms. Espinosa, enough of this. Business is strictly business, you should know that." Kai firmly said out of nowhere, making her quiet, and her smile fade away. Thank God for Kai, I could have snapped at her if I answered her back.
Kai turned his attention to me and said, "Regarding on your findings, we should also search for the person who's behind this. Is everyone on board with me?" A series of nods was given as an answer. "Any questions?"
Everyone murmured the word "none", some shook their head. "Alright then, meeting adjourned."
Everyone stood up and bid their goodbyes, by the time everyone was gone - except for Kai - I sighed out loud and leaned my forehead above the table.
"Thank you, Kai. I could've snapped at her if I talked back." I said, looking down at the dark blue carpet instead of him.
"You're welcome, Elsa. I know, your hands were clasped tightly when she told you that. You were trying to control your emotions, right?"
"...Kind of." I said as I look down at my pale hands.
He sighed, "She's just messing with you, don't let her get it to you."
I shift my head to his direction, "...I know, and I won't."
He stands up, "I'll go ahead, I guess you have some things to do. Goodbye."
"Bye." I weakly said before he left. I lean back on the chair, and stared down at my hands as I whispered to myself,
"This is gonna be a long day...as usual."
(-)
Finally, the last meeting of the day - the meeting with the accounting and finance department. Everyone was still and quiet as I stare at each one of them.
"Let's discuss things." I said as I slid the folder across the table.
"Everyone grab a copy." They did what I said, and faces of shock and disbelief suddenly showed up to me.
"Ma'am, we have nothing to do with this, we could never do this!" One of the female accountant said, her eyes staring at me with sincerity.
Well, someone did.
"In that case, who did it when all of you here are the ones dealing with money and transactions?" I asked, my eyes scanning their reactions with arms crossed.
Nobody answered.
"See? Okay, I'm making a deal. Tell me what you all know, and I won't fire you. This is what I exactly said to the other departments. This meeting is over, I'll be testing you all. Goodbye."
I stood up and left them, making my way to my office. Without a doubt, I quickly locked the door after I entered the office, for safety purposes of my secret.
I started off from where I stopped, and continued up to where I reached the other end of the office. There was no difference on the carpet at all.
The next one was the bookcase, so I threw the books on the ground in a hasty manner. After a few minutes, no clue was found, but someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" I somewhat said out loud, since I'm kind of far from the door.
"...It's Prince, ma'am."
Prince? As in Prince from the finance department? Is he the one behind the transactions?
"Come in, I need help!"
The door slowly opened to see Prince hiding behind it.
"Can you...help me return these books?" I shyly ask.
He gave me a small smile, "Of course, ma'am." After a few minutes of returning books, we sat down to talk.
"So, what's the reason for you to come see me?"
He fidgeted in his seat, "I-It's about the transactions, ma'am.."
"Is it you?"
"...Yes, but please...ma'am, hear me out first.." His brown eyes were starting to brim with tears.
"I know you w-won't believe me, but...Mr. Frost threatened me that if I didn't follow his orders, he...he would harass me and my family. He would harass my g-girlfriend first, then m-my parents, and the last o-one would be me.."
"H-He personally told you that?"
"...Y-Yes, I can still remember his blue eyes were g-glaring at me.."
No, no, this is a lie.
"...Do you have any evidence from the event?"
Tears were streaming down on his face, his jet black hair covering his eyes, sobbing the word "none."
Speechless, I gave him the tissue box to wipe his tears away. How could Jack do this? I can't believe this, and up until I found the next clue, I won't.
"Thank you, Prince, for sharing this info with me. I'll be handling him from now on, and I'll keep this as a secret, and I'll give you protection. Is that all?" He nodded while wiping his tears away.
"Call me when something happens, here's my card." I opened the drawer to fetch a card, but my eye caught something that I've been looking for a while - a small envelope with a printed number three on it.
I gave him the my card as I gently said, "You may now go." He stood up while thanking me, and left.
As he shut the door, I immediately opened the envelope to see a flash drive with a little note:
Enjoy! I know that you will surely like it.
The note made me hurriedly insert the flash drive to its port, and clicked the only content of the flash drive - a video.
It was a surveillance camera footage. The place was an empty hallway, and then I saw Prince's figure feeling his pockets in front of a door. I guess his apartment keys, and then a hooded person approached him.
The person removed his hood, and...I can't believe what I'm seeing..it's Jack, I can confirm it from his figure up to his hair. Oh my god, Prince is telling the truth. For a moment, I didn't believe Prince's story, but now...seeing this footage...made me want to slap Jack so hard. Holy shit, Anna was right about him.
Prince's expression changed from happy to terrified, he shielded his face when Jack threatened to punch him, but Jack didn't continue, maybe this is where Prince reluctantly agreed. Why would Jack do this?
After that, Jack wore his hood back, and left the scared Prince. The video blacks out, then a message appeared:
Did you like it? That's my final clue, now you know who. =)
The video ends. All I can feel right now is mixed emotions, but I can feel the anger on my heart, the pain of betrayal from the one I truly love.
I never thought he could do such a thing, I thought I know him so well, but I was wrong. Jack will pay for this, and I swear to God, he will regret messing with me.
I felt tears starting to form in my eyes, and then I heard my phone ring.
I grabbed my phone from my bag to see who it was, and speaking of the devil, it was the betrayer calling.
The man I love who turned out to be a fucking bastard, Jack Frost.
A/N: wat wat sorry for the late update, mistakes, everything. Just so you all know, Patricia and Prince are just extras, yup.
The Atlantean: Thank you so much for pointing that out! It made me realize that I'm not listening in my economics class (lol), and I was searching for the right word then you pointed it out so yeah. I also edited some parts of the last chapter like Elsa looking on the costs.
Thanks to Tsuekasa, Annanarra, Miki Fubuki, and ZARABEARA for reviewing on the last chapter!
If you liked it, please leave a review, follow or fave! I really appreciate it. Thanks! :)
AlDub you all~!