My Rival Stole My Career-Defining Project, but My Secret Weapon Ruined Him — Part 2

Previously: When Thomas tried to pin the failure of a multi-million dollar project on Rachel, he thought he had won. He didn't know she held the one piece of evidence that could destroy him.

The Emergency Boardroom Meeting

Ten minutes after their public screaming match, both Rachel and Thomas were summoned to the main boardroom by the CEO, Arthur Vance. Arthur was a stern, no-nonsense man who valued results above all else. Thomas immediately took the initiative, stepping forward with an air of practiced confidence that masked his underlying panic.

"Arthur, I tried to manage her," Thomas lied smoothly, gesturing toward Rachel. "But Rachel went rogue. She altered the financial projections without my approval, which is why the Meridian group pulled out. She was trying to hide her own incompetence."

Rachel remained calm, though her hands clutched her laptop tightly. She looked at Thomas, amazed at how easily the lies slipped from his tongue. For months, he had taken credit for her successes, and now he was trying to destroy her career to cover up his own tracks. But this time, she was prepared.

My Rival Stole My Career-Defining Project, but My Secret Weapon Ruined Him

Instead of arguing, Rachel quietly stepped up to the boardroom table and connected her laptop to the main projector. A series of financial logs and system version histories flashed onto the screen. The room fell dead silent as columns of numbers and highlighted IP addresses appeared in stark contrast.

"I didn't alter any projections, Arthur," Rachel said, her voice steady and resolute. "But someone did. And it wasn't to hide incompetence—it was to siphon funds."

She clicked to the next slide, revealing a hidden shell company registered under Thomas's personal address. For over a year, Thomas had been embezzling small percentages from various client accounts, using the Meridian project's massive budget as a smokescreen to balance the books. When the Meridian client requested an independent audit, Thomas panicked and deliberately sabotaged the deal to prevent the audit from happening, planning to blame Rachel for the fallout.

Thomas’s face drained of all color. The confident smirk vanished instantly, replaced by a look of sheer, unadulterated terror as the CEO stared at the screen.