Part 2: She tried to humiliate me in front of the entire ballroom and demanded my immediate firing, completely unaware that her own fiancé would end the engagement on the spot.

"My help?" I echoed, genuinely bewildered. "Mr. Sterling, I’m a banquet supervisor. I manage table settings, wine pairings, and temporary waitstaff. What could I possibly offer against a billionaire developer?"

Daniel stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city skyline.

"You're not just a server, Grace. I pulled your personnel file last night. You graduated top of your class with a dual degree in Hospitality Management and Forensic Accounting from Illinois State. You only took the banquet shift work because your sister's medical treatments required immediate, flexible cash."

I tightened my grip on the arms of the chair. My sister, Chloe, had been fighting leukemia for two years. The medical bills were staggering, which was why I had swallowed my pride and worked eighty-hour weeks carrying silver trays instead of sitting in a corporate accounting firm.

"I don't broadcast my private life," I said defensively.

"I'm not judging you. I admire you," Daniel said, turning to face me. "And that brings me to why I need your specific skills. For the past six months, Vance Holdings has been managing the procurement contracts for our upcoming Atlantic City resort. Bianca was supposedly overseeing the interior design and vendor selection."

A realization clicked in my mind. "The luxury linen suppliers and custom tableware orders that kept getting changed at the last minute."

"Exactly," Daniel said, his eyes lighting up. "Every time our chief financial officer questioned the escalating costs, Bianca threw a tantrum and Richard smoothed it over with board promises. I believe the Vance family has been embezzling capital from the Sterling expansion fund to cover liquidity shortages in their own failing commercial properties."

"You think they’re cooking the books," I realized.

"I suspect it, but my internal audit team is terrified of Richard Vance. Half of them were recommended by his firm," Daniel said. He leaned over the desk, his gaze intense and unwavering. "I need someone with sharp forensic accounting eyes, someone who knows the physical reality of hotel operations, and someone who doesn't owe Vance a single dime. I want you to transfer directly to my executive task force as a Senior Operational Auditor."

"If Bianca finds out I’m auditing her father’s contracts—"

"She will try to destroy you," Daniel said frankly. "Which is why you won't be alone. You'll answer directly to me. I will double your salary, cover your sister's outstanding medical debt under our executive executive health trust, and give you full authority to dismantle their fraud."

My heart hammered against my ribs. It was an extraordinary offer, but the danger was palpable.