Rift in the perfect picture

I had no time to recover. Today was the day of my divorce from Nick and also the day to wrap up all our plans. The unexpected hospital visit made things more rushed, but it did not affect the final outcome.

Laying alone in the hospital bed, I drifted in and out of sleep. As dawn broke, I was jolted awake by a dream. In it, Nick stood atop a high–rise in a thin white shirt with the cold wind whipping his clothes. He stared blankly ahead, oblivious to his surroundings.

I shouted his name. He turned and gave me a faint smile. Then he stepped into thin air, vanishing before

my eyes…

I wiped the cold sweat from my brow, unsure of why I would have such a dream. But dreams were often nothing like reality–surely he would live well in this life

When daylight came, as planned, I called Neal to meet me outside Hawk Corporation. Economic cases did not really require his presence, but he insisted that having him there would put my mind at ease. I could not argue with that.

I smiled at him. Yes, having him there did make me feel more secure.

Douglas followed behind us with a briefcase under his arm. He was there for the meeting, while Neal and I, along with some law enforcement officers, would observe from the adjacent conference room.

Today was the deadline for the final payment on the project between Jones Corporation and Hawk Corporation.

I was curious to see Frances‘ reaction when she realized that, after depleting her family’s wealth and even misappropriating Jones Corporation’s “public funds“, the project had lost all her money. Not only could she not repay Jones Corporation, but she was now penniless.

As expected, Frances‘ reaction did not disappoint. She was agitated and flustered, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Of course, she was not the only one who was worried. Douglas had already prepared a strategy that would offer some financial compensation. But even so, Frances looked exasperated.

The compensation was a drop in the bucket compared to what was lost. In fact, Douglas had already privately contacted other project partners and offered very satisfactory prices.

The meeting concluded smoothly, with only Frances holding Douglas back. But for an old fox like him, escaping was a matter of minutes. He offered a few words of comfort and slipped away. Frances was left alone in the conference room.

Her phone rang. I recognized the voice on the other end all too well. “Frances, if you’ve struck it rich, don’t forget about me!”

Frances laughed awkwardly. “Of course not! I couldn’t possibly forget.”

“That’s great. I’ve sent my account number to your WhatsApp. Transfer it back quickly, will you?”

What? Why so urgently? Frances was clearly panicking.

“Yes, it’s urgent. Mr. Preston just called saying he needs to approve some funds. He’s on his way over now. If you don’t transfer it back soon, I won’t be able to cover for you anymore.”

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Frances’s face changed. “What do you mean by that? Do you think I’d owe Jones Corp money? Besides, Ariana is my daughter–in–law. Be careful. If you tattle, just see whose side Ariana takes. You might lose your job and end up in jail.”

“I’m not tattling. Mr. Preston is on his way.” The voice on the phone sneered.

“Two months ago, I reported to the police that someone had privately logged into Jones Corp’s finance department computers. And wouldn’t you know it, the broken surveillance cameras suddenly started working again…”

“You!” Frances collapsed into her seat. Even with her slow reaction, she finally understood what was happening. She angrily pounded the table.

“Ariana! It must be Ariana! She’s come for revenge! She’s come for revengel

She looked dejected, probably realizing she was powerless to change things. She sat quietly and was no longer struggling.

I smirked as I glanced at Neal. He nodded understandingly before signaling to those behind us, Just as the law enforcement officers were about to break in, Frances suddenly moved.

Neal was more sensitive to these situations than me. He immediately stopped the officers and ordered them to stand by.

On the monitor, Frances tried to stand but her legs were too weak to support her. After several attempts, she ended up sprawled across the conference table.

With shaking hands, she dialed a number. “Claudia, do you have Nick’s card? Quick, charge five hundred million to it. Mom needs it urgently!”

Claudia frowned with a cold face. “That’s Nick’s money! He said it’s only for me to use. You’re a grown woman. Can’t you transfer money yourself? Nick’s my brother, not yours!”

Frances frowned. “He’s my son!”

“Without blood ties, what kind of son is that?”

Provoked, Frances flew into a rage. “You’re sick! You’ve gone crazy! Let me tell you, I’m in a tough spot now. If I don’t get through this, when I’m inside, I’ll definitely expose how you pulled Daniel’s tubes!”

“You were the one who ordered me to do that!”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s a capital offense either way. You can call him ‘brother‘ in the afterlife! Ha ha ha…”