While Elena was sitting in her meeting one floor below, Harlan was already inside her office.
He walked in through the main entrance without any hesitation. He had grown up coming in and out of this building, so he knew every hallway, every corner, and exactly how the security worked. Since his deal with Drake, he had been watching Elena's schedule closely — learning which assistant took their ten o'clock break every single day without fail. Nobody paid him any real attention when he walked in.
He took the elevator up to the executive floor, stepped out, and headed straight for Elena's office door. He typed in the access code from memory and used the duplicate card Drake had arranged through someone inside the company.
He was inside in under a minute.
He didn't waste any time. His eyes went straight to the center of the desk. There it was — the Meridian contract, sitting exactly where Elena always left important documents she needed to come back to, a neat stack of papers held together with a single binder clip. The name "Meridian" was printed clearly at the top.
Harlan picked it up, slid it into his bag, and walked out.
He was in and out in less than three minutes. The door locked behind him with a quiet click.
Now, the document was gone before Elena even knew it was missing.
She returned to her office at eleven fifteen. She set her portfolio down, poured herself a glass of water, and turned toward her desk.
She paused.
It was supposed to be right here. I kept it here.
She walked over slowly and started checking. She moved things aside carefully, opened every drawer one by one, checked the filing cabinet, and looked in every possible spot where the document could be.
Nothing.
She stood with both hands flat on the desk, staring at the space in front of her.
The Meridian contract. Five billion dollars. Eighteen months of hard work. The biggest deal in Carter Group history. She had finalized it herself, packaged it neatly, and placed it right there on her desk before her ten o'clock meeting.
Who could have come into her office and taken it?
She picked up her phone and called her secretary.
It rang once before Grace answered.
"Please come to my office," Elena said, her voice urgent.
"Okay, boss. I'll be right there."
Grace arrived two minutes later. She was efficient and calm, the kind of person who had been doing this job for years. Elena had chosen her just three days into the role. Her name was Grace.
One look at Elena's face told Grace something was wrong. She closed the door behind her without being asked.
"The Meridian contract," Elena said. "I placed it on this desk before my ten o'clock meeting. It's not here."
Grace looked at the desk, then back at Elena. She took a moment before speaking.
"I haven't entered this office at any point this morning, boss," she said clearly. "And I didn't see anyone else come in either. I was with you the whole time during the meeting."
"I know," Elena said. "I'm not saying you did. I need your help finding it."
"Of course, boss. May I look?"
Elena stepped aside.
Grace searched the office carefully. She checked every surface, every drawer, every shelf. She was thorough and didn't rush.
Then she stood up straight.
"It's not in this office, boss."
"No," Elena said quietly. "It's not."
They both stood there for a moment in silence. The weight of what this meant hung heavy in the room.
"With your permission," Grace said, "I'll go down to security myself and pull the full access log for this floor from the time you left for your meeting. I'll also speak to the reception desk downstairs and contact the legal team. I'll come straight back to you the moment I find anything."
Elena looked at her, one hand pressed to her forehead like she was fighting a headache. "That's exactly what we should do. My mind hasn't even gone there yet. Thank you, Grace."
Grace gave a small nod, turned, and left the office.
Elena stood alone, both hands flat on the desk, staring at the empty center where the contract had been. Her body was shaking.
She had only been in this office for two weeks. Two weeks of coming in early and leaving late. Two weeks of working hard every single day, making decisions, and trying to prove herself.
Now the contract was gone.
She breathed in slowly, then out.
The office had been locked when she left. The security system had been on. And yet the document had vanished.
It was past noon when her phone rang.
She looked at the screen. It was her dad. Her heart twisted.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then answered.
"Hello, Dad."
William's voice came through warm and immediate. "Hey. How's my girl? I've been thinking about you all day. How are you doing over there?"
"I'm fine, Dad. Thanks."
A small pause.
"Why did you call, Dad?"
"Just checking up on you," he said gently. "That's all. I wanted to hear your voice."
"That means a lot, Dad. It's been a busy morning, but I'm managing."
"Good. That's all I needed to hear. Are you taking care of yourself?"
"Yes, Dad."
Another small silence.
Elena looked at the space on her desk. She hesitated, then her voice dropped.
"Dad… there's something I need to tell you."
The warmth in his voice shifted a little.
"Talk to me," he said.
"The Meridian contract is missing."
Silence.
She waited.
"The Meridian contract?" he repeated. "Missing?" It sounded like he was talking to himself. "What do you mean by missing? What exactly are you saying right now, Elena?"
"I placed the finalized package on my desk before my ten o'clock meeting this morning," she said. "When I came back, it was gone."
"You placed it on your desk," he repeated slowly. "You're sure about that?"
"Yes, Dad."
"Could you have put it somewhere else? Another drawer? Another file? Could you have—"
"I searched the entire office myself," she cut in. "My secretary searched it after me. We checked every drawer, every shelf, every surface. It isn't here."
Another silence. She could hear him breathing, searching for another explanation.
"The safe," he said. "Did you check—"
"Dad."
He stopped.
"I couldn't find it," she said quietly. "I've checked everything. I know exactly where I kept it."
The silence this time felt heavier.
He exhaled slowly.
"The access log," William said at last, his voice steady now. "Security. Have you—"
"I sent my secretary down to security. She's pulling the full access log for the executive floor. I'm waiting to hear back."
"Good. That's the right move." He paused. "Are you certain you put it on that desk this morning? Not yesterday. Not in your car. Not at home."
She understood the question. He wasn't doubting her. He was making sure there was no other explanation before he accepted what this meant.
"This morning, right here in my office, Dad," she said. "I finalized it myself. Checked every page. Clipped it. Placed it in the center of my desk before I left. I saw it there."
Another deep breath. "This hasn't happened before. Did you lock your office before you stepped out?"
"Yes, Dad. I did."
"This is shocking and unbelievable," he said.
"I'm just confused right now," she replied.
"You don't need to be. Whatever happened, we'll know when your secretary finishes her investigation."
"Okay, Dad."
There was a long pause. Then a slow breath from him, followed by one from Elena.
"Call me the moment your secretary brings anything," he said. "Anything at all."
"I will, Dad."
Okay, he said and ended the call. Elena stood there in the silence of her office, eyes on the wall but her mind somewhere else entirely.