Chapter 4

For the past three months, I'd been pouring all my energy into something else: the Eastgate business expansion plan.

When Louis first put me in charge of it last year, I didn't take it seriously. I'd figured the company's current business was already keeping me busy enough.

But lately, I started pushing it forward in earnest. I went over every detail: supplier resources, client relationships, regional policies, warehousing, and logistics. I reviewed and reorganized every step, catching up on everything I had neglected before.

Linda noticed me working overtime every day and asked if I was thinking about leaving the company.

"No," I said. "I'm setting myself up so I have options. What I do with them is up to me."

*****

Over the next couple of months, Emily's stock at the company kept rising.

Louis had singled her out three times during all-hands meetings, calling her "young and talented," "reliable," and "a pillar for the company's future."

Whenever I heard that, Julian would always shoot me a look. I'd smile back and go back to my work.

Three months later, on the first Monday morning, I got two messages.

The first was a shipping notice from Southland Machinery. The equipment had passed factory inspection and was set to arrive at our plant this Wednesday.

The second was from Emily in the company group chat.

Emily: [The new equipment will be here on Wednesday. Southland Machinery's engineers will come along to handle installation and testing, and we should be up and running by Friday. Delivery is ahead of schedule. Hope that's good news for you.]

Everyone started flooding the chat with "Emily rocks."

I stared at the two messages, then picked up the landline on my desk and dialed an internal line. "Julian, the equipment's coming in on Wednesday. Can you get someone to check it out when it arrives?"

Julian was quiet for a few seconds, then lowered his voice. "Sophia, there is something I need to tell you. Last Friday, Emily brought me a contract and asked me to stamp it.

"She said Southland Machinery needed us to sign a supplemental agreement. When I checked it, I saw they had changed the payment terms from 'pay in full after inspection and acceptance' to 'pay 95% within three business days after delivery.'"

My heart sank. "Did you talk to her about it?"

He said, "Yeah, I told her we can't pay up front before the equipment's even been checked out.

"She said it was Southland Machinery's request. Apparently, their original quote was too low and they're tight on cash. They insisted we pay the full amount before they'd send their engineers to set things up."

"And then?" I asked.

"Then she went over my head and went straight to Mr. Pace. He signed it," he sighed. "Agree to that? She's bold."

I hung up and leaned back in my chair.

Paying 95% within three business days of delivery meant that as soon as the equipment showed up, the money would be out the door.

But what if the inspection failed? What if something was wrong with the equipment? By then, the money would be gone, and Southland Machinery would be in control.

*****

Early Wednesday morning, three delivery trucks rolled up outside the office.

I got in at 8:30, and there was already a crowd downstairs.

Emily was right up front, calling the shots as the forklift driver unloaded the gear, her voice ringing out, crisp and confident. "Careful, to the left. Left. Good. Easy. Set it down slow."

Three brand new CNC machining centers, wrapped in rust-proof film and foam boards, were unloaded one by one. From the look of them, they were the real deal.

Louis came downstairs as well, hands clasped behind his back, watching the scene with a smile.

Emily hurried over to report, "Louis, all three main units, the tool sets, and the automatic loading and unloading system are here.

"Southland Machinery's engineers are already on the road. They'll start the installation this afternoon. Two days for setup and testing, and we should be able to do a test run before the weekend."

"Good." Louis nodded, giving her a rare bit of praise. "Efficient."

Emily flashed an even brighter smile and shot me a quick, smug look. That look meant, "See? I made it."

I did not return her gaze. Instead, I circled the equipment for a good, hard look.

The exterior checked out. The nameplate matched. The specs lined up with the contract. But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.