Clock In

Part 7

"I need help," he finally managed, his voice a little unsteady, a little unsure of himself.

Gemini's expression shifted, just slightly, those faint lines in his forehead deepening, the corner of his mouth tensing.

"I need your approval to access all the invoices from the past four years," Fourth said, the words coming out rushed, like they were chasing each other. He knew how it sounded, vague, weird, suspicious even, but there was no other way to put it.

Gemini didn't say anything right away. His gaze sharpened, studying Fourth with an intensity that felt both calm and dangerous. No softness in his expression this time. No easy smile. Just a quiet, serious stare that made Fourth feel like he was being x-rayed.

"Please," Fourth whispered, barely able to meet his eyes.

After a long pause, Gemini picked up his phone and made a quick call. His voice was low, steady. "Assist Fourth with his request."

And that was it. The call ended, and Gemini set the phone down, looking back at him.

"What's happening, Fourth?" he asked, his voice quiet but direct. "Is something wrong?"

Fourth swallowed hard, the weight of the whole thing pressing down on his chest. His hands felt cold, and for a second, he wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't know," he admitted, the words barely a whisper. "But... something is not right,"

//

The conversation with Gemini felt heavier than Fourth cared to admit. He knew deep down he owed the man an explanation, probably more than just a vague request, but right now, he couldn't say a word until he figured it all out for himself. The last thing he wanted was to pull Gemini into something that might end up being a huge misunderstanding. Hell, there was a real chance he'd look like a complete fool by the end of all this, and honestly, a part of him hoped that would be the case. That would mean this mess wasn't as deep or as dangerous as it felt.

But he couldn't sit around overthinking it. He had to get moving.

He walked straight into the office, grabbed his laptop, and took it to one of the small meeting rooms tucked away in the back. He booked it for the whole day, not wanting anyone to interrupt him, then sat down, opened his laptop, and started working.

Every single receipt, every single invoice, he went through them all, line by line, cross-checking them against the files. He started noticing the pattern, amounts in the files were slightly inflated compared to the actual numbers. At first, it was small, barely noticeable, but as he went deeper, the discrepancies added up. He jotted them down, kept a record, and pushed through the growing tightness in his chest.

His heart started to race as the numbers ticked up, but he forced himself to stay focused. He skipped lunch, barely noticed the time passing. The only breaks he took were a few minutes here and there, standing up, walking in slow circles just to shake off the dizziness that crept in from staring at the screen too long.

By the time the end of the workday rolled around, he had finished cross-checking a whole year's worth of expenses. He didn't even try to calculate the total discrepancies yet, though the temptation gnawed at him. A quick glance at the clock told him it was already 8:30 pm.

He packed up his things, his brain buzzing and tired, and decided to continue the rest at home. As he made his way to the lobby, the elevator doors slid open, and Gemini walked out, looking as polished as ever, hair slightly tousled from the day, suit perfectly pressed, calm in the way he carried himself.

Fourth immediately ducked out of sight, tucking himself into the shadow of a pillar. He wasn't ready to see him, not tonight, not like this. He peeked just enough to watch as Gemini greeted his chauffeur with a small nod and that easy, practiced smile before getting into the car.