CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – IN THE BOARDROOM

As the rest of the board filed in and took their seats, Karina could feel the tension in the room. She caught sight of Tom Reeves slipping in at the last moment, looking nervous. Miguel stood, addressing the room. "Ladies and gentlemen of the board, thank you for joining us on such short notice. As you know, I assigned Ms. Zaslav to conduct an audit of the Thompson account. I believe she has her report ready. Ms. Zaslav, the floor is yours." Karina stood, taking a deep breath as she moved to the front of the room. She could see the expectation in Miguel's eyes, the certainty that he was about to witness her downfall. But Karina had a surprise in store. "Thank you, Mr. Eladio," she began, her voice clear and confident. "I've completed a comprehensive audit of the Thompson account, including all financial records from the past year." She saw Miguel's eyes widen slightly at the mention of "all financial records," but she pressed on. "What I've found is quite remarkable. Not only is t