Chapter 103
Chapter Title: The Accusation
Sean was still in the United States when the incident occurred. When he realized the gravity of the situation, he had no choice but to return early. Though he had suspected a mistake from the start and intended to talk it through with Myra, her hostile attitude only served to fuel his anger. His thoughts were clouded by the photo he had seen on Lyla’s phone, and the rage surged through him like an uncontrollable tide.
Seeing Sean’s presence on his side gave Mr. Xavier the confidence to press forward. “I’m certain Miss Stark is just too reluctant to admit it,” he began. “But you should understand, Miss Stark, we’re not making baseless accusations. We have witnesses and proof. Felicia—tell her what happened.”
At Mr. Xavier’s signal, a secretary hesitantly stepped forward from the group. She quickly glanced at Myra, but her eyes dropped to the floor, clearly intimidated. She stammered, “Miss Stark came looking for Director Chase the day he left for his business trip, but I tried to stop her from entering.”
She paused for a breath, steadying herself before continuing, “I told her the Director wasn’t in and mentioned that there were confidential documents in his office, so she wasn’t allowed to enter. But she was persistent, saying she wasn’t just anyone. I couldn’t stop her, and she went in. I was too scared to follow her, so I just waited outside.”
The woman’s voice shook as she finished, “When Miss Stark left the office, she looked pale and panicked. I noticed her handbag—it had been flat when she entered, but it was bulky when she came out. I even saw several A4 papers sticking out of it. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but after last night’s incident, I remembered it. I didn’t want to hide this anymore, so I reported it to Mr. Xavier.”
Sean’s expression darkened as he processed the secretary’s words. He turned to Myra, his gaze sharp. “Do you have anything else to say?” he demanded.
Myra’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she let out a hollow laugh. “So, just because I went into your office, you think I stole something?”
She had indeed entered his office that day, but she never saw any so-called private documents, let alone stolen them. Why would she? And, most importantly, why was she the only one being accused?
The timid secretary looked terrified as she chewed her bottom lip nervously. “No one else entered the Director’s office after you left,” she muttered.
Mr. Xavier scoffed loudly. “If you feel wronged, ask the others who were in the secretary’s office. They saw everything. Ask them if anyone else stepped into the Director’s office.”
“There’s no need for that,” Myra snapped, her gaze icy as she locked eyes with Sean. “I want to see the CCTV footage—not just from after I left, but from the entire day!”
She knew she was being set up. But why her? Why was she the target of this accusation? And why hadn’t anyone else been questioned? After all, the documents were only reported missing three days after she had visited the office. The people who had entered before her should be suspects too.
Mr. Xavier’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of panic in his eyes. But the look quickly disappeared when Lyla gave him a reassuring glance.
“I agree,” Lyla said, her voice smooth and calm as she tugged at Sean’s arm. “Let’s make this fair, Sean.”
Lyla’s façade of concern was strikingly kind, but no one in the room knew that Myra was Sean’s wife, who was now being unjustly accused by all of them.
A sardonic smile tugged at the corner of Myra’s mouth. “I see. So, you’ve all decided I’m guilty without even looking at the CCTV footage? Mr. Xavier, your intelligence is truly fitting for the Director of the Design Department at Chase Group.”
Both Sean and Mr. Xavier stiffened. Sean’s lips were tightly pressed together, his anger flaring for just a moment before his cold mask returned. “Tell the control room to send me the footage from the past few days,” he ordered.
Soon, the files were transferred to his computer.
To save time, the secretaries brought over more laptops, each showing the footage at an accelerated speed as they all watched intently. After a thorough search, they concluded that the office had been empty except for two days when visitors had entered.
On the day Sean left for his business trip, Richard entered the office around 7 PM, placing a set of documents on the desk. As he passed by the camera, the words on the papers were clearly visible—Hilliville Project Negotiation Results. He walked directly to Sean’s desk, placed the papers on it, and then moved out of view.
“Miss Stark, this document contains confidential information,” Richard explained, his voice coming through the footage. “Because it was leaked, Hart Group successfully sold the property in Hilliville to our Hong Kong clients, at 1% less than our offer. Now, we’re facing a capital chain rupture because of this lost opportunity.”
Sean’s desk, positioned in the corner of the office, was surrounded by various potted plants. In one corner of the footage, another set of A4 papers was barely visible, sticking out of the desk.
Myra’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Hart Group, but she focused on another figure in the footage—Lyla.
It was her! Lyla had entered the office on the same day Myra did.
The realization hit Myra like a ton of bricks. She had been set up. Lyla had switched the documents, making it look like Myra had stolen them.
Myra watched the footage closely, and it confirmed her suspicion. Lyla had been in the office not once, but twice. The first time, she idly wandered around the room, even lounging on the sofa for a moment before leaving. The second time, she stood by the window, then moved behind Sean’s desk. Not even ten seconds later, she left, empty-handed.
The A4 papers had remained in place the entire time. But Myra was certain Lyla had swapped the documents in a split second.
Then, Myra’s own footage played. It showed her entering the office, exactly as the secretary had described. She walked to the desk, grabbed the set of documents, and shoved them into her handbag before leaving in a hurry. The secretary even asked her if she had taken anything, to which Myra denied it.
Mr. Xavier’s face lit up with triumph as the footage played. He turned to Myra, satisfaction written across his face. “Well, Miss Stark,” he sneered. “What do you have to say now?”