Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 386: Who benefits from that narrative...

Vera sat upright, her gaze fixed as she stared at the person who had just spoken, her fists clenched on her thighs.

Jessica glanced at her, a wicked grin flashing across her face. "I believe you have all asked your questions," she said to the members.

The murmurs grew louder, spreading around the table like a wave.

A few directors tapped their pens nervously against the polished surface of the mahogany table.

Others exchanged wary glances, sensing that the story Vera was weaving wasn’t entirely airtight.

Jessica leaned back in her chair, one hand resting lightly on the file before her. Her posture was relaxed, almost indifferent, as her cold gaze pierced through Vera like steel.

"Seems they have nothing else to ask you," Jessica finally spoke, her voice calm but laced with quiet authority. "But I have."

Vera felt her breath catch in her throat as she caught the cold glint in Jessica’s eyes.

Without giving her the luxury of catching her breath, she continued, "So, according to you, Vice President Vera, the Allen Group failed in its capital commitment, leading to the project’s stall. Correct?"

"Yes." Vera’s voice was firm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.

Jessica took a deep breath and with deliberate slowness opened the file before her and connected her laptop to the projector.

The rustle of papers and the flickering of the projector drew the attention of every board member, their curiosity heightened as their gazes darted between Jessica and the projector.

Casually, she flipped to a tabbed section and slid out a document, handing it to Luke to distribute to everyone in the room to have a copy.

"Then perhaps," Jessica said, her lips curling into that same cold arc, "you could explain why the records I hold here were signed by Desmond Allen himself and acknowledged by the Louis Group’s financial department. I believe it shows that every required fund was injected into the project on schedule. Not once, but twice the amount requested, to cover sudden contingencies raised by the Louis Group."

collective gasp swept through the room. Several directors leaned forward to study

froze. "That... that cannot be..." she stammered,

narrowed. "Oh, but it is. And it gets more interesting. Because after this capital injection, funds were transferred out." She paused

as she continued, "It was not transferred back to the project but siphoned through shell accounts that eventually

clutched their pens tightly; others sat

palms grew clammy, and she clenched them beneath the table.

part of the plan, and with the display of the facts, figures, and dates, she drew one

a lost battle if she continued, but then she couldn’t give up like

standing behind Jessica, allowed himself the faintest smirk. He knew

closed the file with a decisive snap, the sound echoing across the room like a gavel. "So, before we continue pointing fingers at the Allen Group’s supposed failures, perhaps we should consider why the Louis family, our so-called allies, chose to make noise in the press about our negligence when, in fact, they were

the room. Every gaze turned

as glass, "would you care to explain why you omitted

came out. For the first time in her career, she had

directors cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "If these records are genuine," he said slowly, "then the fault lies not with Allen Group... but

ranks who aided them."

her seat, her fingernails

all day, but until we address the real issue,

hard, her throat suddenly dry. The whispers around the table had grown

were already looking at her as though she were guilty without

sound steady. "There must be... some misunderstanding. The Louis Group wouldn’t deliberately sabotage a project they fought so hard to win. Perhaps these

Her words fell flat.

in the sound. She slid another document across the table, this one bearing

scanned the audience. "Then maybe the banks, the auditors, and even our internal compliance

the directors leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the seals. "These are authentic. I know the compliance officer who

insinuating our own systems and people are complicit

The air grew heavier.