The office was dead quiet, lit only by the sickly hum of fluorescent lights and the glow of a single monitor. Ethan Miller sat alone, sleeves rolled up, finishing what might be the most important presentation of his career—not because of what it would prove, but because of who it would expose.
One hundred and forty slides of numbers, charts, and perfectly balanced jargon gleamed on his screen. He attached the file, logged into Brad Collins’ account, something he’d done countless times before. Brad liked “streamlined workflows,” which usually meant Ethan completing his admin work. Tonight, that habit would finally pay off.
With trembling hands, he typed the subject line: Quarterly Strategy Presentation–Final Version, attached the deck, and pressed send. The confirmation ping echoed softly, with the finality of a gavel. Ethan leaned back in his chair, exhaled, and whispered with a smirk, “Here’s full credit to you, Brad. You have earned it.”