The CEO Gets What He Wants

Flushed with anger, Nicole rose from her seat and approached her assistant. “Tell me. Do you have anything to do with this? What did you do to the cat? Did you do something to make it aggressive and attack people?” There was a hint of harshness in her melodious voice.

“I-It's not me, Ms. Lambert. You know I have nothing to do with this. I came to Azure Royal right after you called and have been with you since then. Besides, I didn't even see the white cat when I went to the toilet. I really didn't do it...” The assistant trembled in fear as tears of aggrievement welled in her eyes.

Nicole said in disappointment, “I recognize that you've always done your best as my assistant, but there's one thing about you that didn't change one bit: your habit of lying. What should I do with you? The surveillance camera clearly caught you in the footage. After so many years of working with you, I know you better than anyone else. The woman in the footage looks and dresses exactly like you. Why do you still refuse to admit it?”

The assistant's eyes widened when she heard Nicole mention the woman's clothing in the footage.

Everything suddenly made sense when she recalled that Nicole had suddenly wanted to gift her some luxury clothing earlier that night and even reminded her to change into it.

“Ms. Lambert, those clothes don't belong to—”

“I'm sure the injured Ms. Rumpley will be kind enough to forgive you if you admit what you did and apologize to her. Mr. Gibson won't punish you severely, either. I promise I'll take care of your brother and ensure his surgery goes well. Trust me,” Nicole interrupted before her assistant could say anything.

Since Nicole had her back facing the crowd, the assistant was the only one who could see her expression clearly.

Nicole had always been poised and calm from the assistant's point of view, but at that moment, there was a mixture of imploration, helplessness, and even deterrence on Nicole's face.

The assistant was smart enough to know what she should do in that situation, given her splendid work performance and cleverness that qualified her for the position as Nicole's assistant in the first place.

She stared at Nicole for a while, and a realization suddenly dawned upon her.

Her eyes sparkled briefly, but stillness clouded her eyes the next moment as the air around them turned tense.

Avery had been listening quietly to Nicole and her assistant all that while, and she took note of how the assistant reacted to the accusation.

Subsequently, the assistant looked away as if she was in deep thought and suddenly took a hundred-and-eighty-degree change in attitude.

“Yes. It's me. I did it. I'm sorry. I lied because I was afraid I would be punished. Please forgive me, Ms. Rumpley. I apologize for what I did. I will accept any form of punishment,” she admitted.

“But why did you do it? I want to know the reason. Do you know what's in the injection given to that cat?” Avery questioned, frowning.

She did not believe that Nicole's assistant was the one who masterminded the whole incident.

“I've hated cats since I was young and had an impulse to torture them whenever I see them. I accidentally stepped on the white cat's tail this evening when I arrived at Azure Royal, so the cat attacked me and almost scratched my face. I was so furious I wanted to kill it, so I lured it to the restroom and injected the cat with a virus to make it hysterical and aggressive. Since there were so many important guests here at Azure Royal, anyone injured by the cat would definitely deal with it harshly. That was how everything happened. I'm sorry,” the assistant admitted with a fleeting hint of regret in her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her story sounded flawless, but Avery still felt something was amiss.

Meanwhile, Nicole stood before the crowd gracefully with an elegant smile. “Mr. Gibson, Ms. Rumpley, she has worked for me for many years. She is usually mindful of her actions. It is just that she has a distaste for cats. As her employer, I am partly responsible for what happened, so I would like to compensate for all the losses Azure Royal incurred because of the cat. What do you think, Mr. Gibson? As for my assistant, I hope you can forgive her. She still has to take care of her younger brother, who is bedridden at the hospital...”

Nicole's sincerity was apparent from how she had just taken responsibility for a crime she did not commit. She appeared to be an understanding person and also a caring employer, but judging from Cayden's cold eyes and pursed lips, it was obvious that he did not buy what Nicole said.

“Since she admitted her mistake, we should settle this according to the law. An adult like her should not do something this stupid. The physical injury Avery suffered is nothing compared to her emotional trauma. I will not go easy on anyone who did this to her,” Cayden remarked, sounding unusually stern.

His mocking and steely gaze fell on Nicole, making her feel guilty because his eyes told her he knew everything.

Cayden might be criticizing the assistant on the surface, but Nicole felt he was actually insulting her. Anger built up in her chest with no outlet for her to vent.

“So, how do you want this settled, Mr. Moore?” Nicole asked, her hands slowly balling into fists.

“Since she dared to do this, she should also be ready to face the consequences. I'll make sure she gets some time to reflect on her action in prison,” Cayden announced unforgivingly.

The assistant paled and looked at Nicole beseechingly.