She also grew close to Maggie. Twice a week, Grace took her to appointments. They had lunch afterward and talked like family. Maggie told stories about William as a boy. Grace told Maggie about Emma and the dreams she had once put aside.
For the first time in years, Grace felt like life might truly be changing.
Then everything nearly fell apart.
One morning, Victoria appeared in Grace’s office with a grim face.
There had been a security breach. Confidential information from a major government contract had been sent to a competitor. The email came from Grace’s account, from her home network, late at night.
Grace denied it immediately.
“I didn’t send that. I was home with Emma.”
But the evidence pointed toward her. Her account. Her laptop. Her network. The board wanted her removed at once.
Grace stood in the emergency meeting, shaking but steady.
“I was set up,” she said. “Give me seventy-two hours, and I will prove it.”
William supported her request. Her access was suspended, but she was not dismissed.
Grace left the building and called Jake.
“I need your help.”
Jake understood the risk and agreed anyway. Then Grace visited Maggie, who revealed that before illness forced her to retire, she had been a forensic accountant who specialized in corporate fraud.
“You need someone who can trace hidden money,” Maggie said. “That used to be me.”
Together, Grace, Jake, and Maggie followed the trail. Jake found signs that Grace’s laptop had been accessed while she was away picking up Emma from school. A remote tool had been installed through an IT admin account. Maggie traced suspicious payments through shell companies connected to Blackstone Partners, the competitor that had won the contract.
The trail led to Marcus Webb, a senior executive who had wanted Grace gone from the beginning.
Marcus had sold confidential information and used Grace’s credentials to make it look like she was responsible.
By Thursday morning, Grace had the proof.
In the boardroom, Marcus sat calm and confident. Langford looked satisfied. They expected Grace to fail.
Instead, she presented a timeline: the IT maintenance request, the remote access tool, the email chain, the hidden payments, and the shell company transfers. Maggie’s financial analysis backed every point. Jake’s system logs confirmed the technical trail.
Marcus’s face changed as the room understood.
Grace did not shout. She did not insult him.
She showed the truth.
Barbara Chen ordered a full investigation. Marcus was removed from his role, and the board cleared Grace. Langford’s influence weakened sharply after his repeated attempts to dismiss her judgment.
William apologized to Grace privately.
“I should have trusted you faster.”
Grace looked at him, still hurt but steady.
“You did trust me enough to give me time. That mattered.”