Chapter 3

The office was dead silent.

Henry's face had drained to white. Lena's legs were visibly shaking. Susie's words had cut into them like a blade driven straight to the bone.

"Susie, have you lost your mind?!" Henry forced himself to shout. "I dare you to come after me!"

Susie ignored him. She reached into her bag and pulled out the resignation letter. She tore it slowly, one strip at a time. Each tear of paper rang out sharp and clear in the office.

When she was done, she tossed the scraps into the air. They fluttered down and landed all over Henry and Lena.

"You—" Henry was shaking with rage. "You're out of your damn mind!"

"Out of my mind?" Susie laughed coldly. "I've never been clearer, Henry. You embezzled three point four million dollars from the company and laundered it through Lena's account. Did you really think William didn't know?"

Henry's pupils shrank. His lips trembled. "That's a lie…"

"And you." Susie turned to Lena. "You've been at the Luis Group for less than two years, and you've already been skimming kickbacks behind Henry's back—colluding with suppliers, falsifying accounts, pocketing the difference. Did you think William didn't know?"

The color drained from Lena's face. "Susie, don't you dare make up lies about me!"

"Make up lies?" Susie held up her phone and gave it a little wave. "Want me to pull up the bank statements, the wire transfers, and your chat logs with Henry and put them on display for the whole company?"

Henry lunged for the phone. William stepped in front of him, his gaze was glacial. "Don't even think about laying a finger on her."

Henry froze.

Lena suddenly burst into tears and dropped to her knees. "Mr. Luis, it's not like that—Susie set me up! She's jealous of me—"

"Jealous of you?" Susie crouched down and looked Lena straight in the eye. "Jealous of what, exactly? Jealous that you're better at being a mistress than I ever was? Or jealous that you stabbed your own sister in the back without a trace of shame?"

Lena's skin crawled under that stare. Her sobs died in her throat.

"Enough." William spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that left no room for argument. "Henry. Lena. Get out."

Henry's head snapped up. "William, you'd really fire me? I'm your brother-in-law—"

"Brother-in-law?" William's eyes went dark. "You think you deserve that title?"

Henry's face turned iron-gray. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. "Fine. Fine. You'll both regret this. And let me tell you something, William—Susie was pregnant with my child once. You think she's so innocent? She's nothing but a—"

SMACK.

A hard slap landed across his face.

It was Susie.

Her eyes were red, her hand still trembling, but she stood perfectly straight. "Say one more word, Henry, and I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison."

Henry clutched his face, stunned and furious. "You hit me?"

"So what if I did?" Susie's voice was ice. "I've put up with you for three years. That ends today. Henry, everything you took from me—I'm going to take it back. Every single piece."

Lena scrambled to her feet, shrieking like she'd snapped. "Susie, who do you think you are?! You're nothing but a washed-up—"

"Shut up."

William Luis's voice cut through the room. Low. Frigid.

Everyone went still.

He walked toward Henry and Lena, his gaze was as cold as winter ice. "Henry, you owe the company $3.4 million. Pay it back within three days, or I'll see you in court. Lena, every kickback you pocketed—I want it all back by tomorrow, or things will get a lot worse for you."

Henry panicked. "William, you can't—"

"I can." William cut him off. "Effective today, the Luis Group is officially terminating both of you. Security, escort them out."

Two security guards stepped in from the doorway and grabbed Henry and Lena, dragging them toward the exit.

Lena shrieked, "Let go of me! Susie, you better watch your back—This isn't over—"

Her voice grew fainter and fainter, until it finally faded at the end of the hallway.

The office fell silent. There was only Susie and William left.

Susie finally gave out. Her legs buckled, and she dropped into the chair. She raised her hand to cover her face, her shoulders trembling slightly.

William stood in front of her. He was quiet for a long moment before speaking, his voice cracked. "Susie, I'm sorry."

"Don't say sorry." Susie lowered her hands. Her eyes were red, but she wasn't crying. "Your kneeling in front of me just now—pretend it never happened."

"I can't pretend it never happened." William looked at her, his eyes were full of nothing but pain. "These past three years—I'm the one who wronged you. If I had shown up sooner—"

"William." Susie cut him off, her voice eerily calm. "Everything I went through these past three years has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me." William crouched down and took her hand. "I know you hate me. I left without a word—that was on me. But can you give me a chance—"

"A chance to do what?" Susie pulled her hand away. "To forgive you? To fall in love with you all over again?"

William had no answer.

Susie let out a laugh—hollow and sad. "William, do you have any idea what my life looked like these past three years? Henry hitting me, scolding at me every single day. Lena making my life hell. They even threatened my child—"

She couldn't finish the sentence. The tears came before she could stop them.

William felt as if something was being carved out of his chest. He reached out to wipe her tears, but Susie turned her head away.

"Don't touch me." Her voice was raw. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity." His voice came out rough. "It's because I care about you."

Susie looked at him, then suddenly laughed. "You care about me? William, where was that when you walked out without saying a word?"

William said nothing.

"Forget it." Susie stood up. "It's all in the past. All I want now is to focus on work, build the Luis Group into something, and then—"

"And then what?"

"And then take my child and leave this place." She turned away. "And never come back."

William suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Don't go."

Susie looked back. His eyes were rimmed red.

"Susie, I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness." William's voice dropped to almost nothing. "But these past three years, I never stopped looking for you. When I found out you'd married Henry, I thought you did it to get back at me—"

"I didn't." More tears fell. "I married Henry because I was pregnant with your child."

William went completely still.

"I was pregnant. You were gone. I couldn't find you." Susie wiped off the tears. "Henry said he'd marry me. Said he'd take care of the baby. I believed him. And look how that turned out."

William's hand started to shake.

"Where is the child?" His voice trembled. "Where?"

"At home." Susie took a slow, deep breath. "With my parents. Henry never met him."

William's eyes went red. "Susie, I—"

"Don't." Susie shook off his hand. "William, I don't need you to make it up to me. I just need your help—help me grow the Luis Group, make sure Henry and Lena pay for what they did."

"And after that?"

"After that, we're even."

William watched her walk away, a weight sitting heavy in his chest.

Then he spoke. "What's the child's name?"

Susie's steps faltered.

"Susie." William moved closer. "What's his name?"

Susie didn't turn around. But her voice softened. "Willson."

"Willson?"

"Yeah. Willson." Susie turned around, her eyes blurred with tears. "He's the only thing that's kept me going in this life."

William stood frozen, his Adam's apple bobbing, eyes turning red.

"Susie." His voice was hoarse. "Wait for me. I'll build the Luis Group into something bigger and make Henry and Lena pay. And then—"

"And then what?"

"And then I'll beg you to give me another chance."

Susie looked at him without a word.

She turned and walked toward the door, stopping at the threshold.

"William, some mistakes can't be forgiven just because you are sorry."

The door closed.

The office fell silent again, with only William left inside.