تسجيل الدخولThe vehicles pulled into the underground parking garage of the Financial Crimes Division Headquarters.Edward was escorted out of the vehicle, his hands still restrained in front of him.The flashes of cameras from outside were gone, the silence inside the headquarters felt far more intimidating.Two agents led him down a long corridor before stopping outside an interrogation room. The metal door swung open.“Please have a seat.”Edward sat down without saying a word.Moments later, Agent Daniel Hayes entered carrying a thick case file. He placed it on the table before taking his seat. The digital recorder was switched on.“For the record, state your full name.”Edward leaned back in his chair.When he didn’t get any response. Agent Hayes continued anyway. “You are Edward Sterling, Chief Executive Officer of JH Industries, correct?”Edward stared at the wall, he still kept quiet. His pride didn’t allow utter a word, he had refused to believe his current situation.Hayes opened the fil
Edward had been rushed to the hospital because of the way he fell at the stage. His lawyer had left to have a meeting with the other laywers. Celeste sat beside the bed. George had already cleaned the make up that had made him look sick. He looked at his father lying on the bed. George looked pissed. “Dad, you can open your eyes, we are alone. The reporters are not here.”Celeste glared at him. “Will you stop what you are doing! Your dad is going through a lot.”“Mum, do you really believe that dad fainted? That man is calculative, I am sure he can hear us perfectly.”As though Edward heard what George had said. He opened his eyes.“You are finally awake. I was so worried when you fell” Edward sat up, Celeste helped by putting a pillow behind his back for him to sit up well. “Is that how you speak of your father?” Edward shot George a disdaining look.“Honey, you should take it easy”Edward ignored Celeste’s warnings, she had tried to stop the fight between her son and her husband bu
Amidst the chaos that had occurred at JH Industries, Agent Hayes knew he needed to get Claire out before the situation spiraled even further.“Move.”The two officers immediately covered Claire. Hayes and his partner escorted her through a side exit away from the conference hall.Behind them, reporters continued shouting while camera crews scrambled after the ambulance carrying Edward.The moment they stepped outside, they realized escaping the media would not be so easy. An army of reporters had gathered outside the building.The instant they spotted Claire and the Financial Crimes Division officers, they rushed forward.Microphones were shoved into Hayes’ face, camera flashes exploded.“Agent Hayes!”“Agent Hayes!”“Is Claire Montez being released?”“Will all charges against her be dropped?”“Was she falsely accused?”“Did the Financial Crimes Division almost send an innocent woman to prison?”“What actions will be taken against Edward Sterling?”“Has a warrant been issued for his a
The conference hall gradually got quiet, quiet enough that if a pin was dropped, the sound of it could be heard.One by one, the reporters and the journalists stopped whispering amongst themselves. Even the camera operators steadied their cameras, zooming in.Nobody wanted to miss what Celeste was about to reveal.The room became so quiet that the faint hum of the air conditioning could be heard.Celeste looked around the hall, hundreds of eyes were fixed on her. She had gotten the attention she had wanted, everyone was eager to hear what she had to say.For the first time since stepping onto the stage, she knew she had complete control of the room.She dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief. “I am glad that I have gotten your attention.” Her voice trembled. “And I sincerely hope this news does not get taken down by the people I am about to mention.”The reporters leaned forward, their pens hovered over their notebooks.Celeste swallowed. “The person responsible for what happened t
Noon soon arrived. The conference hall at JH Industries was overflowing, every seat had been occupied long before the scheduled start time.Television cameras lined the back wall. Reporters from major news networks, newspapers, business publications, and online media outlets filled the room.Their voices filled with anticipation.Company executives occupied the front row, and security personnel stood at every entrance.Everyone knew this was more than a routine press conference. A company’s reputation and future was on the line.At precisely twelve o’clock, Edward stepped onto the stage.The room erupted in flashes of light, camera shutters clicked relentlessly.Edward stood confidently behind the podium bearing the JH Industries logo.At his right stood his legal team and at his left stood Agent Daniel Hayes and several members of the Financial Crimes Division.Edward waited for the room to settle before he began.“Thank you all for coming.” His voice sounded throughout the hall.“R
By nine o’clock, at JH Industries. The company’s Public Relations Department had been working since morning, things were a lot different with the absence of Claire and also because it was a sudden development. They had to start preparations that morning.Rows of chairs were arranged in the main conference hall, microphones were tested repeatedly. Camera platforms were assembled.Large company banners bearing the JH Industries logo were mounted behind the stage where Edward would stand to address the media.Invitations had already been sent out to some of the country’s most prominent reporters, journalists, business correspondents, and television networks.The response had been overwhelming. A major corporate scandal, a public confession and an arrested culprit. It was enough to make every news organization want a seat in the room.Employees hurried through the building making final preparations.Security personnel were stationed at every entrance.By eleven o’clock, news vans had alre
Back at E Atelier, the conference room buzzed with low conversations. The space was designed to intimidate—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a massive glass table surrounded by leather chairs, walls adorned with her mother's original fashion sketches. Everything in this room was meant
Across the city, in the elegant Carrington family estate where Damien had grown up, chaos was already brewing.Amira Carrington sat on the couch, her phone glued to her hand as her long fingers scrolled endlessly.She was halfway through her morning coffee when a video started playing on her social
Victoria's hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel, barely seeing the road through her tears. The lights of the city blurred into streaks of color as she drove on, her mind spinning with rage and humiliation.Elena. Always Elena. Their father's favorite, even though he had remarried. The gold
Elena was greatly astonished, as she looked around she saw a fountain that danced in the circular driveway, water cascading over smooth stones. The building itself seemed to go on forever, wings extending in both directions from the main entrance."Oh my God," Elena whispered."The Carrington estat







