Chapter 4

Half an hour later, everyone had gathered in the executive conference room.

I sat at the head of the table, looking at the familiar yet strangely distant faces around me.

Jason sat to my left and tossed a thick proposal onto the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the final budget for the Southside development project is ready.

"Although it's thirty percent higher than our original estimate, once we secure this property, our return on investment will more than double."

I opened the proposal.

One glance was all it took to spot the problem.

"These numbers don't add up."

I slammed the file onto the table.

"The quoted price for the building materials is double the market rate. Where's all that extra money going?"

The conference room fell silent.

Jason didn't so much as flinch.

"Claire, you've been away from the business for too long. Material costs are rising across the board. I chose the best supplier available. If we want to guarantee the quality of the project, the higher price is completely justified."

"Justified?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"This supplier, Horizon Building Supplies, has a registered capital of just twenty thousand dollars. The owner is a man named David Lane.

"If I remember correctly, David is your mother's cousin from back home, isn't he?"

The moment those words left my mouth, several board members began whispering among themselves.

A flicker of panic crossed Jason's eyes before he quickly regained his composure.

"You investigated me? There's nothing wrong with hiring family as long as they're qualified. If the materials meet our standards, what difference does it make who supplies them?"

A board member who remained silent until now suddenly cleared his throat.

Charles Watson helped my father build this company from the ground up and had once been the person I trusted most outside my family.

"Claire."

Charles spoke earnestly.

"A young woman should put her family first. Jason has devoted himself to this company over the past few years. We've all seen how hard he's worked.

"You've only just come back. There are a lot of things you don't understand yet, so don't let your emotions get the better of you."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Mr. Watson, he's lining his own pockets with the company's money. Can't you see that?"

Charles's expression darkened.

"Claire! How could you make such a disgusting accusation against Jason? If you don't have any proof, don't go around making things up!

"I think you're emotionally unstable right now. You should go home and take some time off."

The other board members quickly chimed in.

"She's right. Miss Sharp should go home and focus on planning the wedding. With Mr. Gordon running the company, nothing's going to happen."

I looked around the table at the people Jason had either bought off or fooled, and my heart turned cold.

Leaning back in his chair, Jason curled his lips into a smug smile.

"Claire, you're exhausted. Go home and get some rest. I'll take care of the company."

…

At two o'clock that afternoon, I sat in a secluded café in the heart of downtown.

I stirred the coffee that had long since gone cold and waited in a corner booth.

Across from me sat a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap.

Frank Donovan was my father's private investigator and was the only person I could still trust.

"Frank, how's the investigation into the financial records coming along?"

I lowered my voice.

Without looking at me, Frank pulled a thick envelope from his bag and slid it across the table.

"Miss Sharp, everything you asked for is in there."

His voice sounded unusually hoarse.

I tore open the envelope without hesitation.

But the moment I pulled out the documents, I froze.

These weren't records proving Jason had siphoned money out of the company.