Chapter 3 Caught on Camera

Ricky then covered the forged documents with several old folders, carefully restoring everything until the storage box looked untouched.

Once he was satisfied, he dusted off his hands and let out a quiet scoff.

"Get some sleep, Mike. It's your big day tomorrow."

He walked back to the table and looked down at me, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I'll come by tomorrow and see you off."

Then, he grabbed his jacket and left, slamming the door behind him.

I didn't move a muscle until I heard his footsteps disappear completely down the hallway.

I waited until the coast was clear before pushing myself up the table.

The drunken look on my face was nowhere to be seen.

Then, I went straight to the bathroom, splashed cold water over myself, and cleaned off as much of the whiskey as I could. Once I had changed into a fresh set of clothes, I pulled on a pair of disposable gloves and returned to the bedroom.

The three forged documents were still exactly where Ricky had hidden them.

I lifted them carefully by the edges, making sure not to touch the surfaces any more than necessary.

If things had gone the way I expected them to, his fingerprints would still be all over them.

I then sealed the documents inside a clean plastic bag before dragging a chair over to the closet to take down the hidden camera.

Finally, I inserted the memory card into my laptop and opened the footage. As I watched the recording play, I knew I had him.

The recording captured everything: Ricky walking in with that fake smile, him trying to get me drunk, the moment his expression shifted once he thought I was out cold, and his own words about taking the Chief Engineer position from me.

Most importantly, the footage also clearly showed him pulling the forged documents from inside his jacket and hiding them beneath my files.

The backup phone had recorded his confession just as clearly.

The two recordings I had of his misdeeds were more than enough to crucify him.

Still, I copied everything onto three separate USB drives and stored them in different places.

Only then did I finally allow myself to smile.

My phone lit up.

Andrea had sent me a message.

"Mike, I'll accompany you for the final review tomorrow. I'll bring breakfast too. I'm getting you your favorite coffee and breakfast sandwich! Get some sleep tonight. You need to look your best. Love you."

My gaze hovered on the final two words, "Love you," and I felt a twist in my stomach.

She had acted exactly the same way in my previous life.

Andrea had stayed by my side throughout the entire review process, pretending to be a supportive fiancée while knowingly allowing Ricky to quietly destroy my career behind my back.

I deleted the conversation without replying.

I thought, 'It's showtime tomorrow. But since you want a front-row seat so badly, I'll make sure you get one, Andrea.'

...

Someone knocked on my apartment door at exactly 8 a.m. the following day.

When I opened it, I found a few people standing in the hallway.

The man at the front looked to be in his 50s.

"Mike Randall?" he asked. "We're from the Corporate Review and Compliance Committee. We're here to complete the final stage of your Chief Engineer assessment, including the routine background review."

I recognized him immediately.

This man was Daniel Brooks, the head of the review committee.

A younger woman in a crisp white blouse, holding a laptop and a folder, was standing right behind him.

Her name was Sharon Forbes.

I remembered her as well.

In my previous life, Sharon eventually became the youngest director in the company's Internal Compliance department.

Years later, she was also the one who uncovered Ricky's corruption.

My mind couldn't help but wander as I saw her standing at my door, but I quickly shoved those memories aside and stepped back. "Mr. Brooks, Ms. Forbes. Please come in. I'm sorry the place is a little cramped."

After they entered, I poured each of them a glass of water and set the drinks on the table.

Daniel glanced around the apartment before giving me a reassuring nod. "Relax, Mike. This is protocol. We just need to verify your technical background and go over a few details from the projects you've worked on."

Sharon opened her laptop and began asking questions.

I answered each one calmly, explaining the difficult points and technical details with ease.

After all, I had already spent one lifetime studying these projects.

Before long, the somewhat tense atmosphere in the room began to fade as the conversation between us became surprisingly casual.