Humming a soft, almost imperceptible tune, Elara stared at the glowing lines of code. Months of nagging reservation system glitches had become her personal Everest. Blackwood Manor’s training success had fueled her confidence, granting her a razor-sharp focus she hadn't known she possessed. She leaned closer to her dual monitors, fingers dancing across the keyboard. Packet by packet, she traced the errant data, isolating variables within the ancient Vance Corp network. The system, a Frankenstein’s monster of outdated software and haphazard patches, groaned under the simplest commands. Hours blurred into a relentless pursuit. Coffee cups piled beside her. The glow from the screens painted her face in stark blue and white. Frustration simmered, then sharpened into a cold determination. Suddenly, a break. A specific module. Not just a bug, but a fundamental miscalculation in how guest data was processed and allocated across properties. It was like finding a broken valve in the heart of a plumbing system. "Got you," she muttered, a triumphant whisper. A few more lines of input, a re-routing command, and the reservation system flickered. Then, it stabilized. Confirmed bookings, once lost in digital limbo, now populated the correct ledgers. Double entries vanished. The pervasive, costly glitch, responsible for countless guest complaints and last-minute room shuffles, was finally resolved. Victory, however, felt fleeting. Her gaze lingered on the system’s architecture. The 'glitch' wasn't isolated. It was a symptom. A gaping wound in a much larger, decaying body. She started pulling logs, cross-referencing system health reports from various Vance Corp properties. The deeper she delved, the more alarming the picture became. Servers dating back a decade, running unsupported operating systems. Critical security updates routinely bypassed. Data flow choked by incompatible software modules. This wasn't just inefficiency. This was negligence. A systemic failure of oversight at the highest levels of Vance Corp’s IT department. Someone had been cutting corners, ignoring essential upgrades, and letting the infrastructure crumble. Elara felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach. The reservation glitch was a single leaky faucet. This, though, was the entire pipeline collapsing. How many other problems were festering beneath the surface? "Unacceptable," she murmured, her voice tight. The implication was staggering. Millions invested in properties, in branding, in personnel, all resting on a digital house of cards. She compiled a detailed report, complete with screenshots and data analysis, outlining not just the fix, but the terrifying scope of the underlying problem. Julian Blackwood needed to see this. Immediately. Sending the email, she leaned back, rubbing her temples. The quiet hum of the servers seemed to mock her. Her phone buzzed, a sharp, authoritative tone. Julian. Not an email. A direct call. "Elara," his voice was crisp, devoid of preamble. "Your report on the reservation system. Comprehensive." She braced herself. "Sir, the glitch was merely a symptom. The underlying IT infrastructure is… precarious." "Precarious is an understatement," he cut in, his tone hardening. "I'm already aware of the systemic neglect. What I need now is a solution. And for that, I have another task for you." A shiver ran down her spine. His words were precise, unyielding. "Blackwood Manor’s training initiative has demonstrated your capacity for uncovering hidden issues and implementing effective protocols," Julian continued. "I'm forwarding you a series of expenditure reports. Across multiple properties. They require your immediate attention." Her eyes scanned her inbox, where a new, encrypted file had just landed. The title: 'Expenditure Review – Vance Corp Properties Q3.' She clicked it open. Data streamed across her screen. "These aren't just high," Julian’s voice resonated through the speaker, chillingly calm. "Some of these figures are… anomalous. Far beyond any reasonable operational cost. This isn’t about poor IT oversight, Elara. This points to something far more deliberate. I need you to find out why. And who." The numbers blazed on her screen. They weren't just big; they were wildly disproportionate. Supplies purchased at triple market value. Services billed for that never materialized. It wasn’t inefficiency. It was outright theft. And Elara was now staring directly into the abyss of Vance Corp’s darkest secrets. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs. This wasn't just about fixing a glitch anymore. This was about uncovering a conspiracy. She felt a surge of cold dread, mixed with a potent, dangerous curiosity. This was going to be a long night.

Chapter 10: Beyond the Surface