#Chapter 65: Shifting Again

Logan I’d dismissed the staff an hour ago, claiming I needed uninterrupted time to review the latest budget packets and inter-pack proposals. Truth was, I needed space. But not from work. The reports lay scattered across my desk, but my eyes kept circling back to Reid’s latest set of updates, specifically a new software acquisition tied to data security improvements and resource tracking. Sounded useful. Looked expensive. But what bothered me wasn’t the cost. It was the justification attached to it. Three of the bullet points mirrored language pulled from an internal memo I’d reviewed with Emily two weeks ago. A memo that hadn’t been circulated widely. I’d only given Julian temporary access to while Emily was compiling her team’s financial recovery analysis. I tapped the side of the tablet with my thumb, a slow rhythm building as I scanned the digital logs Julian had appended to the latest system request form. Routine access. Multiple late-night entries. One timestam