Chapter 48

"Understood, Director Wang."

Evelyn Roland had no idea a storm was brewing in the conference room on the thirtieth floor.

At exactly 10 a.m., all department heads of KL Design Group gathered in the meeting room. Alexander Roland's icy demeanor made the temperature in the room plummet. His long fingers struck the table with a sharp, unsettling rap.

"A three-hundred-million-dollar contract—vanished into thin air?"

The room was dead silent. Everyone kept their heads down, barely daring to breathe. It was the first time they'd seen the usually composed Alexander so furious.

"This document is tied to the company's most crucial project for the second half of the year." His voice was like frozen steel. "Do you understand the gravity of this?"

The CFO's pen clattered to the floor, the sound piercing the suffocating silence.

Suddenly, an assistant burst in, flustered.

"Mr. Roland, we found the file."

Sweat beaded on his forehead as his voice trembled.

"But... it's already been shredded."

The air turned to ice. Everyone held their breath, terrified of becoming the next casualty of Alexander's wrath.

"Investigate!" Alexander slammed his palm on the table, his knuckles white. "I want to know who did this!"

Surveillance footage was quickly pulled up. When Evelyn appeared on the screen, Alexander's pupils constricted.

"Evelyn Roland from the Third Design Department?" Dorian Wayne immediately jumped up, pointing accusingly at Adrienne Klein. "This is your team's doing! Who's going to cover the three-hundred-million loss?"

Adrienne's forehead glistened with sweat. Though she'd once doubted Evelyn's competence, working alongside her had changed her opinion entirely.

"Could there... be some misunderstanding?" she ventured weakly.

"Misunderstanding?" Wang sneered. "The footage is crystal clear. Are you trying to protect your own, Director Klein?"

At the far end of the table, Alexander's fingers tapped rhythmlessly against the wood. He needed to answer to the board—but he didn’t want Evelyn humiliated.

"Bring her here," he finally ordered, his voice taut with barely restrained tension.

Adrienne immediately dialed her phone. "Evelyn, come to the thirtieth-floor conference room. Now."

The elevator ascended slowly. Evelyn watched the numbers climb, her chest suddenly tightening with inexplicable dread. She pressed a hand to her heart, sensing something terrible was about to unfold.