hapter 49:
“Ann, I don’t know what he told you, but please give me five minutes to explain…”
“Shut up!” Ann Maxwell interrupted, her voice sharp and filled with anger.
Zoey, watching the exchange, silently rejoiced. He had always known that a love-struck fool like Ann would be so easy to manipulate.
Steve, who had overheard the conversation, stood at the edge of the room with a grave expression. His usual calm demeanor had shifted into something darker as he processed what had been said.
Evan, finally breaking his silence, turned toward Ann Maxwell. His expression was indifferent, a far cry from the concern he had shown Olivia. “Hopeless,” he muttered under his breath. He had given Ann countless chances, but she was still being led around by Zoey. He knew now that she couldn’t be trusted.
Ann’s heart shattered as she heard the finality in Evan’s words. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Olivia, observing the scene, realized Ann Maxwell had never truly paid attention to company matters. She regretted her own naivete in thinking Ann might be a reliable ally. Ignoring Ann’s distress, Olivia fixed her sharp gaze on Zoey. “Vice President Zhu,” she began, her voice cool and controlled, “didn’t you think that since it was just the two of us, whatever I said would be hearsay? That you couldn’t be convicted?”
Zoey’s face stiffened, his anger flaring. “Ms. Frost, we have no quarrel. Why are you trying to ruin me? You want to impress the President, win his favor, so you’re making false accusations!”
Olivia didn’t flinch. She stared him down, then turned to Evan. “President, I was carrying a recording device when I left this morning to investigate. It has a 48-hour continuous recording capability. I kept it hidden on my chest. It’s now under the coffee table in the old house where I was kidnapped. That house is by the sea. I’ll draw you a map. Please send someone to retrieve it. Everything Vice President Zhu said, what Director Du said, and what others at the factory said—it’s all there. I’ll prove the truth immediately.”
“No need for a map,” Evan said, his voice cold and commanding. “That’s Director Du’s house. He’s confessed.” He picked up his phone and made a quick call. “Zach, retrieve the recorder and bring Derek back.”
The room went silent as Evan dropped the bombshell, his eyes never leaving Zoey. The guilty parties in the room went pale as the realization hit. Zach answered the phone, his voice crackling through the speaker. “We’re on our way back. Derek’s in Julian’s custody.”
Olivia hadn’t known Julian was involved in the search, but the mention of his name sent a chill down her spine. Evan hung up, and the atmosphere in the room shifted drastically. Some of the employees who had been unsure now began to believe Olivia had been telling the truth about her kidnapping. The guilty parties—Zoey, Ann, and others—felt the heat closing in on them.
Zoey’s muscles twitched with nervous energy. “Fine, retrieve the recorder. Let’s have a showdown. I have nothing to hide!”
Olivia scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “Say more. Swear on your life, cry your eyes out. Otherwise, the reversal will lack dramatic effect.”
She smirked, turning to the room. “Go on, make a show of it! Someone, record this. In case Vice President Zhu denies it later.”
Evan, unfazed, pulled out his own phone. “I’ll record,” he said simply.
Several employees, now fully aware of the stakes, quickly took out their phones to document the confrontation. With so many cameras on him, Zoey’s composure began to crack. His usual confidence faltered, and for the first time, he truly felt panic rising within him.
