“Show him inside then.”
His assistant gave him a nod then took a step back, letting the door close. Lucas strode back to his large desk in the middle of the office and sat in his plush leather chair. A few seconds later, James Turner entered through the door, all smug and swagger as he walked in.
His wolf barely had time to calm down when it went on alert again. Turner’s very presence and human scent sent the animal on edge, despite having known him for years. But then again, his wolf had great instincts and could probably sense that something wasn’t right.
Turner was looking around the plush room, probably redecorating the space in his mind. After all, with Lucas moving up as CEO next month, the Chief Operating Officer role was up for grabs. Being one of the more senior executives, Turner was one of the leading candidates for the position. Too bad, after this meeting, he was never going to step through the doors of Fenrir Corp. ever again.
“Lucas,” Turner greeted, his smile all white, shiny teeth, thanks to one of Manhattan’s premiere dentists. From his perfectly-cut hair, to his bespoke Armani suit, and down to the tips of his designer shoes, James Turner reeked of money and privilege. “I can’t tell you how happy I am you called me in here.”
Lucas tried not to smile. Really, he shouldn’t be happy about this. Except that James Turner was about to get everything he deserved. “Sit down, please.”
Turner took a seat opposite him, extending his legs and crossing them at the ankle. “So, I hope everything went well in Geneva?”
“As could be expected.” Lucas took a folder from the drawer under his desk, placed it on the table, then slid it toward Turner.
Turner’s eyes practically glowed with glee as he took the folder and opened it. However, as his gaze scanned across the page, his expression quickly turned sour. “What is the meaning of this?”
“You can read, right?” Lucas said in a bored tone. “What does it look like?”
“I thought this was … that you would.” He dropped the folder on the table. “This is preposterous.”
He knew the other man was hoping it was an offer and compensation package, not a termination letter. “If you read the rest of the papers, you’ll see that we have a generous offer for you.”
“But I—” His fingers shuffled through the papers, and his face turned red. “A dollar? A measly fucking dollar after all the years I worked here?”
Turner looked like he was close to blowing his top, and Lucas wanted to relish this moment. Keep it in his memory bank for those times he needed a pick-me-up. “If you read further, you’ll see that Fenrir will not be going after you for the money you embezzled, nor will we take legal actions against you—don’t even try denying it.” His tone was now ominous and cold. “The forensic accountants I hired are the best.”
The accounting firm had been thorough in their months-long investigation, and Lucas wouldn’t have confronted Turner if there was a single doubt in their findings. He and his father, Grant, who was still currently the CEO of Fenrir Corp., had gone through the different scenarios of what to do with their findings. They both decided that they didn’t want a scandal or any attention on the company, seeing as there was going to be a shift in power soon, so they decided to deal with the matter privately.
Turner stood up and slapped his palms on the desk. “You can’t … I’ll fight this in court.” Strong words, but Lucas could smell the fear from the other man.
Really, it wasn’t a large amount of money, which was why they didn’t detect it right away. But it wasn’t the amount that mattered. It was the principle. James Turner was a thief and a liar. “Just try it,” Lucas said. Maybe he let his wolf come to the surface. Just a little bit. Enough to give off a flash of Alpha power.
As a human, Turner probably didn’t understand what was happening, but he most likely felt it, and it sent him slamming back down into his chair.
“Ah, looks like security is here.” Lucas nodded toward the door where two burly men in uniform had entered. He had instructed David to let them in as soon as they arrived. “They will be escorting you straight to your car. Someone will pack up your office, and your personal items will be mailed to your home address.” Turner opened his mouth to speak but Lucas silenced him by putting up a hand. “Don’t. Don’t even try it. We have all the evidence we need. All you have to do is leave quietly and leave without a fuss. Don’t even think of talking to the press; the NDA you signed is iron-clad.”
Turner’s face was now all shades of purple, but he gave him a curt nod.
“Take him away,” he said to the guards. The scent of the human’s fear and anger was offending his and his wolf’s senses. He watched with satisfaction as Turner walked toward the door, flanked by the two guards.
Some might say that Turner was getting off easy. But getting justice for his white-collar crimes didn’t outweigh the attention it would put on Fenrir, and in turn, the Lycan kind. They’d maintained their secret because they guarded their privacy. If the humans found out about them, well, it would bring danger to all Lycans, not just in New York but all over the world. They wouldn’t be able to get any justice, but sometimes, they had to make sacrifices for the good of their kind.
“Oh, by the way,” Lucas called out. Turner stopped and looked back at him. “If you think you can quickly find another job in New York or any other major city, think again. We’ve alerted every major corporation and headhunter in every country
