Chapter 51

"Ms. Gildon went to the factory," Gerard answered, "She noticed some discrepancies in the data and wanted to check it out herself." He chose his words carefully, just in case it turned out to be a misunderstanding. "She's not causing a scene and skipping work, is she?" Dominic remarked, suspicion coloring his tone. Upon waking, he recalled how aggressively he had needled her the night before.

"No, of course not," Gerard quickly reassured him. "She genuinely went to the factory. It's not a major issue, but it's not exactly minor either. We were planning to let you know, but with your busy schedule today, she decided to look into it herself." Dominic nodded, appearing convinced.

Vespera had taken a cab to the factory, quietly watching the scenery pass by during the drive. Upon her arrival, she introduced herself. The factory manager, along with the administrative and financial staff, quickly stepped forward to greet her. The manager was a man of average height, slightly overweight, with tanned skin. As soon as he saw her, his face broke into a sycophantic smile.

After a brief round of introductions, he introduced himself as Derek Chavez, a longtime employee who had spent 15 years at the company. He had started on the production line first and gradually worked his way up.

"We've been eagerly anticipating Mr. Reid's visit to inspect the branch," Derek said, his voice filled with excitement. "We're all thrilled and honored to finally meet him in person." Vespera stifled a laugh. "I'm afraid his highness won't be gracing us with his presence this time. His schedule is too packed. You'll have to settle for me instead."

"Ms. Gildon, you're even more beautiful than a model. How could this possibly be a compromise?"

"Mr. Chavez, you certainly know how to flatter a woman."

After the usual pleasantries, Derek gave Vespera a tour of the facility, showing her the management offices, production lines, and cafeteria. She wasn't in a rush. As they walked, she asked thoughtful questions about the production process and occasionally snapped a few photos with her phone, mentioning that she'd be reporting back to Dominic. Derek nodded, unquestioning.

By the time the tour ended, it was already noon. Vespera requested to have lunch at the cafeteria. She lined up with the employees, grabbed a tray, and deliberately chose a seat next to the male workers. Starting with light conversation, she let them get comfortable with her before smoothly steering the topic toward the clock-in system.

The clock-in machine was located at the entrance to the workshop, and there were no surveillance cameras. This meant that if someone used multiple cards to clock in, it would go undetected. Leaning in slightly, Vespera lowered her voice. "I heard this place is haunted."

One of the women stiffened, her eyes widening. "Where did you hear that?!"

"The general manager told me," Vespera said. "He mentioned that two people clock in every day, but no one has actually seen them."

The three women froze, their faces shifting from confusion to unease. After a brief pause, the eldest of them spoke up. "Are you talking about Mitchell and..." Vespera's eyes lit up. "That's right! So you know something after all."

"Wendy?!"

"I've been here for years, but these two have only recently joined. The newer employees wouldn't have noticed. At first, no one thought much of it. We're all worn out after work, and it's not really our business to track who's coming and going."

"But over time, people started to realize something strange—no one had ever actually seen Mitchell and Wendy in person."

"We asked the supervisor about it once, but he got really defensive and told us to mind our own business. So, we dropped it."

The second woman gasped. "Wait... Then who's been clocking in for them? Are we talking about ghosts?"

The third woman shuddered, her voice shaking with tears. "Maybe they were workers who died in an accident here. I heard ghosts sometimes go through the motions of their daily..."

Vespera stayed silent. Judging by their reactions, it was clear the employees had no idea what was really going on. Meanwhile, the voice recorder in her bag continued to run, capturing every word—including the names they had mentioned. Across the cafeteria, Derek, along with the finance and statistics staff, kept a close watch on her table.

That afternoon, Vespera wasted no time. She summoned the workshop supervisor, the HR representative, the finance and statistics teams, and Derek into a meeting room. "I'd like to meet Mitchell Fisher and Wendy Larkin," she said, a polite smile on her lips. Abrupt silence filled the room.

Just then, the workshop supervisor approached the door and slammed it shut. With a sharp click, he locked it securely.