Chapter 81
Marcus stared out the window, his gaze fixed on the Ricos Bridge in the distance, shrouded in mist. He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar tension in his forehead and temples. The weight of his thoughts pressed down on him.
‘Should I keep the secret from her for the rest of her life?’
It seemed impossible. Sooner or later, she would find out the truth. But, according to the Hamerton tradition, he was supposed to marry a woman from one of the other three big families. If Cordelia joined the Hamertons, he could only imagine the fate that awaited her. And, more importantly, he wasn’t the real Marcus.
He took a deep breath and pulled his ID card out of his pocket. The face on the card looked exactly like his, but the man was not him.
“Z.” Josiah, though not the sharpest, had a good sense for reading people’s emotions. “May I suggest you end the ‘training’ earlier? Everything here in Chaiseland is almost finished. Freddy and I will handle the rest. You should go back to your wife. It seems like you miss her.”
Marcus’ expression softened, and for the first time since coming to Ricos, he allowed himself a smile of relief.
Fredric, impressed, gave Josiah an inward thumbs up. The three of them exchanged smiles, preparing to leave and pack up. Just then, Robert hurried into the room, his face tense.
“Mr. Grist!”
“What happened?”
Robert licked his lips nervously. “I just received news from Jangasas. Ms. Jenner is in trouble!”
…
Cordelia had been in the interrogation room for an entire day and night. The room was small, cold, and oppressive. There were no windows, only a door, and the four corners of the ceiling were equipped with cameras, watching her every move. Behind the cameras, in the surveillance room, the staff could monitor her from various angles on a large screen.
Her face was pale, and her eyes were deeply sunken. Her hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes under the table.
“Ms. Jenner, are you still not going to tell us the truth?” one of the interrogators asked, his voice stern. “You won’t get anywhere if this continues. It could even ruin your future.”
“I didn’t do it…” Her voice was hoarse, and she repeated the same thing every time they asked.
She hadn’t sold the marketing plan to their competitor. She hadn’t gained anything from the transaction or exposed any proprietary secrets of the company.
But the day before, a group of police officers had arrived at the company for an unknown reason. Her director had called her into the conference room.
…
“Cordelia, after everything we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us?” The director slapped the evidence on the table in front of her. It was the marketing plan she had been working on. However, somehow, their competitor had obtained it. The rival company had used it to launch their new product ahead of schedule, putting Bowfest Foreign Trading in a vulnerable position.
In the end, Cordelia was taken away. As she walked down the stairs with her head bowed, she passed by Karine, who wore a smug, malicious expression on her face.
…
“I didn’t do it…” Cordelia repeated, her voice trembling, and her eyes reddened with the strain of the ordeal.
The interrogators exchanged a look, unsure of what to believe.
The staff behind the screens let out a scoffing sound and spoke harshly into the intercom. “I heard this woman was promoted right after joining the company. She forced out a shareholder and a supervisor, and she has an impressive track record. She’s not an easy person to deal with, so be cautious.”
The interrogators warned her, “Ms. Jenner, we have all the evidence. You’d better tell us the truth. Besides, the rival company has already confessed that you’re the one who leaked the plan to them…”