Taming My Sugar Mommy
Chapter 95: Doubt

Chapter 95: Doubt

Isabella sat alone in her office, the city lights creating a constellation of artificial stars beyond her window. The audit report lay open on her desk—pages of financial data, transaction logs, and access records that led to one disturbing conclusion.

’This can’t be right,’ she thought, studying the evidence before her.

The independent auditors had traced the security breach to a terminal logged in under Liam’s credentials. Not just once, but repeatedly over the past three weeks—always late at night, always accessing the same financial databases that had been compromised.

She remembered Seraphina’s words from breakfast: *"Have you considered everyone in your inner circle, Isabella? Even those closest to you?"*

At the time, she’d dismissed it as misdirection. Now, doubt crept in like fog—not quite obscuring her trust in Liam, but making its edges less certain.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in," she called, closing the folder.

Liam entered, his expression betraying nothing of the storm Isabella knew must be raging inside him.

"You’ve seen the report," he said. Not a question.

"I have."

"And?" His voice remained steady, but Isabella caught the tightness in his jaw, the subtle tension in his shoulders.

"And I’d like to hear your explanation," she replied, gesturing to the chair across from her desk.

Liam sat, meeting her gaze directly. "Someone accessed the system using my credentials. It wasn’t me."

"The same way someone used my credentials to access the secure server," Isabella noted.

"Exactly," Liam agreed. "We’re being set up—both of us. The question is why target us specifically?"

Isabella leaned back, studying him. In two years, Liam had never given her reason to doubt his loyalty. His analytical mind had proven invaluable, his discretion impeccable. Yet the evidence before her suggested otherwise.

"The timing is suspicious," she admitted. "Just as we’re finalizing the Davies deal, suddenly there’s financial malfeasance that points to my closest advisor?"

"It’s a classic misdirection," Liam said. "Create chaos, sow distrust among leadership, then move in with a solution that benefits someone else entirely."

"The question is who," Isabella mused. "Jeremy seems the obvious candidate, but he lacks the technical skills to orchestrate something this sophisticated."

"Unless he has help," Liam suggested.

Isabella’s phone buzzed with a text from Marcus: *Need to speak with you. Urgent.*

"Something wrong?" Liam asked, noticing her frown.

"I’m not sure," she replied, rising from her desk. "Marcus needs to speak with me."

"I’ll continue looking into the audit trail," Liam offered. "There has to be evidence of tampering."

Isabella nodded, suddenly hesitant. The rational part of her brain still trusted Liam implicitly, but the seed of doubt had been planted. If Seraphina was right...

’No,’ she decided firmly. ’I need evidence, not speculation.’

"Be discreet," she warned him. "If someone is targeting you, they’ll be watching your movements."

"Always," Liam assured her.

---

Marcus was waiting in the executive security office, his usual calm demeanor tinged with concern.

"What is it?" Isabella asked as soon as the door closed behind her.

"Jeremy had a meeting with Davies’s legal counsel this morning," Marcus reported. "In the lobby café—deliberately casual, but intense."

"Could be innocent," Isabella noted. "He is our CFO."

"True," Marcus acknowledged. "But he’s also made three calls to an unlisted number since the financial discrepancy was discovered. Each call lasted less than thirty seconds."

"Status reports," Isabella murmured.

"That would be my guess," Marcus agreed. "There’s something else. The security footage from the night of the breach—it’s been altered."

Isabella’s attention sharpened. "Altered how?"

"Segments have been replaced with loops—seamless enough that it wasn’t noticed during initial review. But there’s a half-second delay at the transition points."

"Can you recover the original footage?"

Marcus shook his head. "It’s been overwritten. Professionally done."

Isabella processed this information, pieces of the puzzle shifting in her mind. "Someone inside our security team had to be involved."

"Or someone with access to security protocols," Marcus said meaningfully.

"Like Liam," Isabella acknowledged, the doubt resurfacing despite her resolve.

"Or Seraphina," Marcus countered. "She has executive access to all systems."

Isabella’s eyebrows rose. "You suspect Seraphina?"

"I suspect everyone," Marcus replied flatly. "But I find it interesting that she’s been pushing the narrative about Liam so aggressively."

Before Isabella could respond, her phone chimed with an alert. Emergency meeting called by Jeremy in the main conference room, starting in ten minutes.

"What now?" she muttered.

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Marcus offered.

Isabella considered the offer, then shook her head. "No. I need you to do something else. Find out who Jeremy has been calling."

---

The conference room was already filled with department heads when Isabella arrived. Jeremy stood at the head of the table, his expression grave.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he began as Isabella took her seat. "I’ve called this meeting to address a serious security concern that has come to light."

Isabella noticed Seraphina seated near Jeremy, her elegant posture betraying no tension though her eyes tracked Isabella’s every move.

"As most of you know, we discovered financial irregularities this morning," Jeremy continued. "The independent audit has revealed concerning activity originating from within our executive team."

Murmurs spread through the room. Isabella remained silent, her face a mask of professional concern.

"What hasn’t been shared until now," Jeremy added, his voice dropping dramatically, "is that sensitive information regarding the Davies integration was also compromised."

This wasn’t part of the morning’s findings. Isabella’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’What game is he playing?’

"What kind of information?" asked the head of Legal, her tone sharp.

"Proprietary technology assessments, integration timelines, staffing decisions," Jeremy replied. "Information that could significantly impact the valuation of both companies if leaked to competitors."

"Or to Davies themselves," added Seraphina. "It would give them considerable leverage in the final negotiations."

Isabella felt the subtle shift in the room—tension mounting, suspicion growing, and all of it carefully directed.

"The audit has identified the source of the breach," Jeremy stated, nodding to his assistant who distributed copies of a report—not the same one Isabella had reviewed earlier.

Her gaze traveled down the page, stopping at a highlighted section: *Security access logs indicate pattern of unauthorized entry through credentials assigned to L. Campbell, Executive Assistant to CEO.*

"This is the first I’m seeing of these specific allegations," Isabella said coolly, looking up to meet Jeremy’s eyes. "I’d be interested to know why this information wasn’t brought directly to me first."

"We wanted to verify the findings before causing undue concern," Jeremy replied.

"By distributing unverified accusations to the entire executive committee?" Isabella challenged, her tone remaining measured despite her rising anger.

The door opened, and all heads turned as Liam entered. His expression faltered momentarily at finding himself the sudden focus of attention.

"I apologize for the interruption," he said. "I wasn’t aware there was a meeting."

"How convenient that you’ve joined us," Jeremy said, his tone just short of openly hostile. "We were just discussing the security breach traced to your credentials."

Liam’s gaze moved from Jeremy to the report in Isabella’s hands, then back to the CFO. "I see. And was I deliberately excluded from this discussion of accusations against me?"

"This is an executive committee meeting," Jeremy replied smoothly. "As Ms. Ashworth’s assistant, your presence wasn’t required."

Isabella rose from her seat, reclaiming control of the room with a single gesture. "This meeting is premature. The investigation is ongoing, and no conclusive evidence has been presented that warrants this level of escalation."

"With all due respect, Isabella," Seraphina interjected, her voice pitched to convey reluctant concern, "the evidence is quite compelling. At minimum, Mr. Campbell’s access should be suspended pending further investigation."

Isabella felt the weight of the room’s expectation—the subtle pressure to distance herself from Liam, to demonstrate her commitment to the company’s security over personal loyalty.

A perfectly orchestrated moment of crisis.

’They want me to sacrifice him publicly,’ she realized. ’To make him the scapegoat.’

"I agree that prudent security measures are appropriate," Isabella conceded, choosing her words with precision. "Liam’s system access will be limited to non-sensitive areas until this matter is resolved. However, I reject the implication that we’ve reached any conclusion about his involvement."

Liam’s expression remained impassive, but Isabella caught the flash of understanding in his eyes. They both recognized the theater being performed.

"In the meantime," Isabella continued, "I want a full review of all executive access logs—including those of everyone in this room. If there’s a breach in our security, we need to understand its full extent."

Jeremy’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. "Of course. Complete transparency is essential."

"Then we’re adjourned," Isabella declared. "Liam, please come with me."

As they departed, Isabella felt Seraphina’s gaze following them—calculating, measuring, recalibrating whatever plan was in motion.

In the hallway, Liam maintained his professional demeanor until they were in the privacy of her office.

"That was a setup," he said quietly.

"Clearly," Isabella agreed. "But why force the issue so publicly? What were they hoping to accomplish?"

"To isolate you," Liam suggested. "Remove your most trusted advisor, make you vulnerable."

Isabella nodded slowly. "Or force me to defend you against mounting evidence, undermining my judgment in the eyes of the board."

"Either way, I’ve become a liability," Liam acknowledged.

"Which means you’re a threat to whoever’s behind this," Isabella pointed out. "The question is—what do they think you know?"

Before Liam could respond, Isabella’s private line rang. The caller ID showed Marcus.

"I need to take this," she said.

Liam nodded, moving toward the door. "I’ll start compiling all the access logs. There has to be a pattern we’re missing."

Isabella watched him go, conflict churning inside her. The evidence pointed to his guilt, yet every instinct told her he was being framed. The question was—by whom, and to what end?

She answered the phone. "What did you find?"

"The number Jeremy’s been calling? It’s registered to a shell company with ties to Seraphina’s former consulting firm," Marcus reported.

Isabella’s blood ran cold. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely," Marcus confirmed. "There’s more. I checked the building’s entry logs against the security footage tampering. Seraphina was here both nights when the footage was altered."

The pieces clicked into place, forming a picture Isabella had desperately hoped was wrong.

"Where are you now?" she asked Marcus.

"Outside the IT department. They’re about to implement the access restrictions for Liam."

Isabella took a deep breath. "Let it happen. We need to play along for now."

She ended the call, gazing out at the city below—her city, her company, her legacy—now threatened not just by outside forces but by betrayal from within her inner circle.

The game had taken a dangerous turn, and Isabella could no longer be certain who she could trust beyond Marcus.

And Liam? Her instincts still said he was loyal, but she couldn’t afford to bet everything on instinct alone.

Not with stakes this high