Chapter 3

Serena was evidently flabbergasted by my decisiveness and laughed bitterly. "You agreed just like that? You said yes so quickly…

"What, did you have this idea all along or something? Matthew, if you already had that thought, then where did you get the nerve to accuse me just now?"

I closed my eyes and could not help but question why I had ever been with her in the first place.

When I opened my eyes again, there was nothing left but resolve. "Serena, in our entire relationship, you were the only one who threatened me with breaking up or calling off the engagement. Rather than saying I want to call it off, it's simply me fulfilling your wish, isn't it? That way, you can finally be with someone else openly, right?"

Serena's expression grew paler. "I don't know what you're talking about. Since you've agreed to call off the engagement, don't you dare regret it!"

I made a gesture for them to leave, my expression filled with undisguised mockery. "I will return that sentence to you word for word!"

Serena glared at me viciously, grabbed Dylan, and turned to leave.

At that moment, Dylan glanced back at me, his earlier fear completely gone, replaced with pure smugness in his eyes.

I did not even bother sparing him another glance and went straight to Human Resources. The first thing I did was to replace Serena.

I said, "Starting tomorrow, Serena will no longer hold this position."

Although HR staff were taken aback for a moment, seeing that I was serious, they did not dare say much and immediately began contacting replacements.

I continued, "Oh, and have the accountant come to my office. I have something to ask him."

Before long, the accountant, Lionel Bennett, arrived, trembling nervously. When he saw me, his expression turned stiff, and his voice was almost shaking.

"Mr. Grant, did… Did you need me for something?"

I already knew what was going on and got straight to the point. "You don't need to be nervous. I just want all the records of company transactions related to Dylan since he arrived."

The moment Lionel heard that, he became even more frightened. Under my questioning, he finally confessed everything Serena had done over the past year.

It turned out that during this time, Serena had either threatened him or used my name to give Dylan subsidies under various pretenses. The total amount was already close to six figures.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grant! I'm so sorry... But Ms. Wagner said it was also your instruction, and if I didn't follow it, I'd lose my job and never survive in this city again!

"I-I recorded every transaction, every single one, just in case you'd ask me one day. They're all here!"

Lionel trembled fearfully, apologizing profusely. I looked at the documents in my hand, frowned slightly, then shook my head at him.

"Lionel, I have no intention of punishing you, but I'm only allowing this once. If this happens again, you must report it to me in advance, you hear me?"

Lionel nodded nervously. As soon as he left my office, I slammed those documents onto the desk.

This was beyond ridiculous.

What did Serena think I was, and what did she think this company was?

After the anger faded, all that remained was deep exhaustion. I leaned back in my chair and could not help recalling the years I had spent with Serena.

We had grown up together and even attended the same college. Although we had only been together for three years, I had liked her for far longer than that.

After my startup succeeded, she said she did not want me to work so hard and wanted to help. That was how she became the company's finance director.

At the beginning, she had clearly joined for my sake. How, then, had things ended up like this?

Dylan was an intern she hired. Back then, she had even complained to me that he did not know how to do anything. Somewhere along the way, though, the two of them had crossed a line.

Serena never mentioned Dylan's poor work performance again and started doing everything herself. He managed to get someone in finance to abuse company funds for his benefit.

Thinking of this, I immediately pulled out my phone and called my mother.

"Hello? Mom, could you invite the Wagners over this weekend as well? I have something to announce."