Chapter 4

The organization's leader, Bernard, was finally arrested. One of Simon's men tipped off the police and helped them capture him alive.

Matt got into the police vehicle and exhaled in relief as the city hall disappeared from view in the rearview mirror. He asked, "What do you need me to do?"

The officer beside him replied, "Bernard wants to see you. He said there was something he wanted to discuss with you in private. Since some of his men are still at large, we'd also like him to give us more information.

"We appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Lewinsky. We'll have officers monitor the entire conversation and take notes."

Matt nodded.

The door to the interrogation room was pushed open, and Bernard was inside, wearing a prison uniform, his hands cuffed to the table.

He gave Matt a wicked grin. "Mr. Lewinsky, long time no see. I didn't run your company into the ground. It's doing pretty well, isn't it? So why keep coming after me so hard? Can't we just give each other some leeway and live in peace?"

Matt's face darkened, his fists clenching. If the police weren't standing nearby, he would've punched Bernard already.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

Bernard raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Oh, it looks like you're not going to talk about the good old days with me. I'll get straight to the point, then. Let's make a deal, shall we?"

"What deal?"

Bernard leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I heard you've been looking for Natalia all these years. Is it because you still hold a grudge against her or because you just can't let go of her?

"How about this? I'll tell you where she is, but I need you to use your family's influence to get me the best lawyer and help me get the lightest sentence possible."

Matt snorted, clearly not taking Bernard's words seriously. "Help you escape punishment? You've done so many terrible things. If I really sided with a bastard like you, I could never hold my head up high again."

With that, he turned to leave.

"I thought you cared about Natalia. What a shame. If you won't help me, I'll have her killed immediately. At least she'll be there with me in hell, and I won't be so lonely."

Matt stopped in his tracks. I could tell he was wavering.

I panicked, immediately rushing to his side and jumping up and down as I urged him to leave. I didn't want him to believe Bernard or agree to his deal.

If Matt made a deal with someone like Bernard, the media would tear him apart. He had worked so hard over the years to build Lewinsky Corporation into what it was. If this got out, he'd be in trouble again.

But Matt couldn't hear me. He stood rooted to the spot for a long while before turning around. He stared at Bernard and asked, "Has she been well all these years?"

Bernard immediately knew Matt was starting to soften. He leaned back in his chair, making things up without batting an eye. "She's doing great. Natalia took so much money from you. Of course she's living comfortably."

He tapped his fingers on the table and continued, "I'll strike you a deal. If you hold a press conference and announce that you're willing to help me and publicly back me, I'll tell you where Natalia is right away. Then, you'll get to do whatever you want to her."

I was so desperate that I nearly cried. I kept trying to block Matt's view, wanting to tell him not to agree to Bernard's deal. He was lying. I was already dead.

But no matter how hard I tried, my fingers still passed right through his body.

I could only watch as he said, "Okay, I agree. Let's hold the press conference now."

Bernard threw his head back and laughed, looking smug and vicious. "Great! You're definitely Dan's son, loyal to a fault. Don't worry. I'll tell you where Natalia is after the conference ends."

The moment the news got out, the public erupted. Even with the police doing everything they could to maintain order, the press conference was still packed with reporters. Camera flashes went off one after another as they threw question after question at Matt.

"Mr. Lewinsky, why is Lewinsky Corporation suddenly helping a notorious criminal like Bernard? Does this mean the company is also deeply involved in the underworld?"

"Mr. Lewinsky, someone anonymously claimed that Lewinsky Corporation built its fortune through money laundering before going legitimate. How do you explain that?"

"Mr. Lewinsky, several of your business partners have said they'll end their cooperation with your company if you insist on helping Bernard get off. What do you have to say about that?"

Matt stayed silent, his face frosty. He took a deep breath and grabbed the microphone, ready to make a statement that could destroy Lewinsky Corporation's future.

"I hereby announce that Lewinsky Corporation will…"

Before he could finish, the captain of the criminal investigation team pushed through the crowd, looking frantic. He ran over and shouted, "Mr. Lewinsky, stop! A villager near the snowy mountains found your missing wife."