Chapter 2

The moment I heard that, my face changed.

"That's impossible. Our company has always operated by the book. How could we be involved in money laundering? Could that be a scam call?"

The finance director immediately pulled a long face and handed me his phone, showing the notice that our corporate account had been frozen.

"Ms. McKinnon, the police are already on their way to the company. This is no mistake! And today is payday. With the account frozen, what are we supposed to do?"

I clenched my teeth and fell silent, my mind racing as I tried every possible solution, working my phone in an attempt to lift the freeze.

But no matter what I did, nothing worked.

By chance, I glanced at Chelsea. The faint curl of her lips gave her away—she was clearly reveling in my misfortune.

The moment she noticed my gaze, she quickly masked it, spreading her hands with feigned helplessness.

"Melissa, see? I told you not to accept Andy's bank card, but you wouldn't listen. Everyone in the circle is saying his money comes from illegal sources. You must have been dragged down with him."

Hearing her badmouth Andy to my face again, I let out a silent scoff.

In my previous life, I had been deceived into believing those so-called comments—that Andy harbored ill intentions toward me—and she had played no small part in that.

Every time—no matter when—as long as Andy did something kind for me, Chelsea would twist it into something sinister.

When the branch office opened, Andy introduced a major order.

She insisted there must be a trap behind it, that I'd be left holding the bag.

Only later did I find out the project had been taken over by her.

At my birthday banquet, Andy gifted me a rare blood diamond. She claimed it was some kind of southern sorcery—that wearing it would curse me, turning me into his puppet.

And now that the company's cash flow was in crisis, and Andy stepped in to help, she was once again spreading nonsense, insisting his money was dirty.

But if it really was dirty, then why in my previous life had she been able to use that very money to rise so spectacularly?

There had to be something more—some hidden scheme I didn't yet understand.

As I racked my brain, trying to pinpoint where things had gone wrong, something caught my eye.

I saw Chelsea and the finance director exchange a subtle glance—then nod to each other.

A chill shot through me, cold and piercing.

They weren't supposed to be close at all. Yet, that silent exchange spoke of a connection far deeper than mere acquaintances.

I suddenly looked up at the finance director.

He cleared his throat, the urgency on his face intensifying.

"Ms. McKinnon, can the company account be unfrozen or not? If salaries aren't paid today, the employees will definitely cause a scene."

Watching his feigned anxiety, everything in me snapped into clarity.

In my previous life, the company had lost bid after bid, only for Chelsea to snatch those projects away at just the right moment. Now, the mystery was finally solved. I didn't know what methods she had used to bring the finance director into her scheme—but the truth was undeniable.

I looked at him steadily, then let out a quiet sigh.

"Terry, you've been with McKinnon Group for years. Ever since my father took over, you've been here. So why would you do something like this now? The freezing of the company's account—this has something to do with you, doesn't it?"

His face went pale, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Ms. McKinnon, I wouldn't! For all these years, my dedication to the company is clear to everyone. You can't accuse me without evidence!"

As he spoke, he shot a glance at Chelsea.

Right on cue, she stepped in to defend him.

"Melissa, you must be misunderstanding Terry. He's a veteran who helped your father build the company. Treating him like this will only demotivate the other staff. I think the problem lies with Andy's bank card. If you don't believe me, ask Terry—wasn't it when he tried to transfer money from that card that the account suddenly got frozen?"

The finance director nodded eagerly in agreement.

I let out a cold laugh, sweeping my gaze over the two of them as I tapped lightly on the table.

"In that case, I'll just call Andy and ask him myself. I'll relay everything you've both said and demand to know whether it's true."