CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT - UNDER THE SURFACE

But as she delved further into Derek's activities, her hopes were dashed. The accessed files were part of a security upgrade he had been tasked with. It was all above board, just poorly documented. Frustrated but undeterred, Ava moved on to the finance department. She scrutinized expense reports, looking for any suspicious payments or irregularities. Hours turned into days as she pored over spreadsheets and bank statements. A series of small but consistent overpayments to a vendor caught her attention. Following the money trail, Ava's heart raced as she uncovered a complex embezzlement scheme. But as significant as this discovery was, it wasn't connected to the information leaks. It was a separate issue, one she flagged for Max to handle later. As the days wore on, Ava felt like she was chasing shadows. Every promising lead seemed to evaporate under scrutiny. She began to doubt herself, wondering if she was overlooking something obvious. In a moment of desperation, she even conside