Chapter 182

Several employees from the PR department came rushing in, and one of them reported, "Miss Gilbert, the plagiarism scandal we managed to suppress earlier has resurfaced. It's trending online now. What should we do?"

Brinley snapped, her voice sharp and furious, "And why are you asking me what to do? Bury it! I don't care what it takes or how much it costs-just get it off the internet!"

"Yes, Miss Gilbert," the PR staff replied stiffly, gritting their teeth.

Brinley pressed her fingers to her temple, her head throbbing with frustration.

Moments after the PR staff left Brinley's office, they returned. Without looking up, she barked,"Didn't you hear me the first time? Why are you back? Get that story taken down now! Go!"

But instead of answering her tirade, they tossed their ID badges onto her desk with a loud clatter. "We quit."Brinley slammed her palm against the table. "Useless! All of you-get out!"

As the disgruntled employees stormed out, an HR representative arrived, escorting two men dressed in crisp suits before waIking away himself. "We're from the Department of Commerce and Regulation,"one of two men stated. "Brinley Gilbert, correct? We've received allegations of business misconduct involving your company.We ask for your full cooperation in the investigation."

Brinley forced a tight smile. "That's absurd. There must be some kind of misunderstanding."

Just as she rose from her chair, the HR representative returned-this time with two uniformed officers."Brinley Gilbert?" one of them addressed her."We're with Interpol. You're under suspicion in connection with an international criminal case. Please come with us."

As the crowd swelled in Brinley's office, the HR representative quietly slipped out, joining his colleagues to gossip with thinly veiled curiosity.

Brinley stood frozen. For a moment, she couldn't decide which disaster to tackle first. "Just give me a moment," she said, struggling to maintain a polite tone as she stepped into the adjacent meeting room.

Inside, she quickly dialed Vincent Jones's number, her fingers trembling. NJo answer.

Right then, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was Danica. Brinley answered immediately."Mrs.Jones,is Vincent home?"

"He's not," Danica replied briskly. "I actually called to let you know-your belongings have been packed and delivered to the apartment near your office. Sharon made the arrangements. Starting today, you're not allowed back at the Jones estate."

Got it." Brinley's expression darkened as she ended the call. Sharon had made sure to strip her of every shred of dignity.

Without pause, Brinley dialed Hannah's number, her voice seething. "Was this your doing?"

"So what if it was?" Hannah answered coolly, her tone calm as she idly scrolled through Polaris Tech's market valuation charts. "The plagiarism exposé, the Department of Commerce and Regulation, Interpol-all part of the lovely little gift I prepared for you. So? What do you think-did you like it?"

She gave a soft, almost amused chuckle."Oh, and I reminded Sharon to help pack up your things.Thoughtful of me, don't you think?"

"You're trying to destroy me?" Brinley growled through clenched teeth.

"Destroy you?" Hannah scoffed. "You've got it allwrong. You were the one who nearly destroyed me. I'm just returning the favor-legally. Compared to you, I'm being kind. I only want you to serve time."

She leaned back in her chair, completely unbothered. "I hear prison for international criminals has a special kind of charm."

Brinley's fists clenched tightly at her sides. "Hannah, I swear, I will never let you get away with this!"

Hannah's laugh was cold and cutting. "Before you start making threats, maybe take a good look around.Your company's value is plummeting. Brinley-this time, you're finished."

With a scream of frustration, Brinley hurled her phone to the floor. She then kicked the table and chairs,sending them crashing violently against the walls, but the fury boiling in her chest refused to subside.She hadn't even become Vincent's wife yet-how could everything be falling apart already?

Meanwhile, after work, Vincent sat in the back of his car, heading toward Nova Tech.

Online, the scandal surrounding Brinley had exploded into a firestorm. Derek, glancing at the trending headlines, couldn't hold back. "Mr. Jones, are you really not going to step in about Miss Gilbert? Aren't you worried she might do something drastic again?"

Vincent's expression darkened.

Noticing his reaction, Derek quickly shifted gears. "May I ask why we're visiting Mrs. Jones today?"

Vincent shot him a cold look. "Do you always talk this much while driving?"

"No. Not at all," Derek replied instantly, clamming up.

Vincent turned the wedding ring on his finger slowly, lost in thought. Even he couldn't fully explain why he was headed to Nova Tech. He had already decided to let go and had forced himself not to look back, not to care. But in the stillness of the night, his thoughts always drifted back to Hannah. Even the sleeping pills prescribed by the doctor couldn't silence her name in his mind.

Perhaps it was those roses. They'd been haunting him for days. And now, he was desperate to know-Was someone else chasing after her?