It started just after ten.
She was running through the new client summary when the alert appeared in the corner of her screen — a notification from the internal server: File modification detected: Executive Draft 4.2
Her stomach dropped. She hadn't touched that document since yesterday.
She opened it. Entire sections had been rewritten, figures swapped, approval tags removed.
Someone was still trying to ruin her.
But this time, she was ready.
She clicked into the log file Robert had shown her how to access — an extra layer of tracking he'd built into the shared drive. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled.
Access: S. Marks
Device ID: IT-24-GY
Her breath caught. Gary from IT. And Sienna.
For a moment, she just stared at the screen, pulse thundering. Then she printed it out and stood, smoothed her skirt, and walked straight to Richard's office.
Richard was mid-conference call when she knocked. One look at her face and he muted the line.
"Isabelle? What's happened?"
She handed him the printout. "It's still happening. But now I know who's behind it."
He skimmed the sheet, frowning. "Gary. He's in IT."
"And Sienna," she said quietly. "She's using his access credentials to edit files — and to cover her trail."
Richard's frown deepened. "Get HR and both of them both in here. Now."
Sienna walked in with the same confidence she always wore like perfume. "You wanted to see me, Richard?"
Gary followed, looking uneasy.
"Yes," Richard said evenly. "Sit down, both of you."
Sienna sat, crossing her legs, smiling faintly. "Is something wrong?"
Isabelle stood by the window, hands clasped in front of her, trying to look calm even as her heart raced.
Richard slid the printouts across the desk. "These are server access logs. They show you've been altering files under Isabelle's name, using Gary's credentials among others. Would you like to explain that?"
Sienna blinked, then laughed softly — a brittle, disbelieving sound. "That's ridiculous. Gary wouldn't —"
Gary's face had gone pale. "Sienna, stop. They know."
Richard's voice stayed calm. "We traced the network access from your workstation, Gary. The credentials, the timestamps — all point to you. And Sienna, the same pattern appears across Isabelle's files."
Jane from HR knocked on Richard's door and walked in. For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Sienna's expression cracked. "All right," she snapped. "Fine. Yes. I did it. We did it."
She turned to Isabelle, eyes bright with spite. "You think you're better than me? You didn't even finish university. You're a single mother and you're younger than me. What are you doing in a company like this? Sitting outside the CEO's office like you belong there?"
The words dripped venom and hit like slaps — sharp, personal, meant to humiliate.
Richard's jaw tightened. "That's enough."
"No, it isn't," Sienna went on, voice rising. "You all treat her like she's some kind of miracle. She's not. She's just lucky. I could do her job — and frankly, I'd be better at it."
Gary muttered something about "not meaning for it to go this far," but Richard silenced him with a look.
"You both compromised company security," he said. "You've violated confidentiality and sabotaged a member of staff, not to mention you've accessed and modified files you had no business working on. As of this moment, you're both dismissed. HR will see you out."
Isabelle stepped forward, "I have one more question to ask them."
Richard nodded at her to continue.
"Gary, did you wear a disguise to make yourself look like Robert and sit at my desk one evening?"
Gary looked at Sienna uncomfortably. "I told her about you setting up a camera, that's when she suggested I do that."
Sienna's bravado faltered then. She stood, colour draining from her face. "You'll regret this," she hissed, but it sounded hollow now.
She shot Isabelle one last venomous look before turning and walking out.
Gary followed, head down.
When the door closed, the silence was immense.
She stood there, not quite believing it was over. Her hands shook faintly at her sides.
Richard sighed, rubbing his temples. "I should've seen it. I'm sorry, Isabelle. You didn't deserve any of this."
She swallowed hard. "Thank you. For believing me."
He looked up, expression softening. "You've handled yourself with professionalism I wish more people had. Take the rest of the day off. Go home, see your kids. You've earned it."
She hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Quite sure," he said. "And Isabelle —" he added as she turned to go, "I'm proud of you."
She nearly cried right there.
She managed a nod, a polite smile, then walked out before her composure cracked completely.
He watched her from his desk as she gathered her things — quiet, composed, but her hands trembling slightly when she thought no one could see.
He already knew what had happened. He'd seen the IT access log update on his tablet before she'd gone in to tell Richard. The outcome was exactly as he'd expected — and yet, something about the sight of her there, so pale and still, made his chest tighten.
When she passed his open door, she paused.
"It was Sienna," she said softly. "And Gary. They admitted it."
He nodded once. "Good."
"She said I didn't belong here."
Robert's eyes met hers — steady, unreadable. "She's wrong."
For a long moment they just looked at each other, something unspoken hanging between them — not gratitude, not quite understanding, but something quieter.
Then Isabelle gave a small nod. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Get some rest," he said.
She smiled faintly. "I'll try."
And then she was gone, the gentle padding of her footsteps fading down the corridor.
The office was silent again.
Outside, London rain streaked down the glass — thin, silver lines blurring the city lights.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the reflection of the empty desks.
Justice done.
The company's reputation intact.
That should have been enough.
But it wasn't.
He thought of her face when she'd walked out of Richard's office — the quiet disbelief, the way she held herself upright even when she looked ready to break.
He'd told himself he didn't care. That it was about duty, not people.
But watching her walk away, he wasn't sure he believed that anymore.