Chapter 17

I quickly locked onto a target.

There was a newcomer at the company named Sebastian Jones.

Sebastian had a youthful, energetic vibe about him, and I could tell he was ambitious.

This showed clearly in every meeting.

But what caught my attention most was the subtle look in his eyes when he glanced at me.

That day, I deliberately timed my walk past the break room.

Just as Sebastian came out, he bumped right into me.

He was holding a cup of coffee that spilled halfway, and some of it splashed onto my clothes.

We both looked at the scene before us, and I said somewhat helplessly, "Would you mind helping me clean this up?"

In the restroom, with no one else around, I wiped the stains on my clothes with paper towels while talking to him. "Sorry, I was just passing by. Didn't expect you to push the door open right then."

"Nothing to apologize for. I wasn't paying attention either. Actually, I should be the one apologizing to you, Ms. Lacey." Sebastian knew who I was, which didn't surprise me at all.

We'd been in two meetings together. Though Charles led them, I could feel Sebastian's eyes on me the whole time.

I'd already sensed he had some interest in me.

Maybe not romantic interest, but knowing I was a rich girl, he seemed to want to get closer to me.

That was exactly what I needed.

While wiping my clothes, I said to him, "How are you finding the project these days? I know you just joined the company. All these meetings in a row must be pretty boring for you, right?"

Sebastian handed me some tissues and cleaned his own sleeves. Hearing my question, he smiled noncommittally.

I thought my approach wasn't working, but then suddenly he said, "I heard about what happened between you and Hamilton. From where I stand, I really feel for you."

Hamilton?

I hadn't heard that name in ages. Never expected it would come up from a company newbie.

I looked up at him, our eyes meeting. I suddenly realized this was exactly the person I was looking for!

"Sebastian, if I said I had a private deal I wanted to make with you, would you be willing to hear me out?" I could see the ambition and desire burning in his eyes.

If I needed someone from the company to help me, Sebastian was undoubtedly the best choice.

Plus, he was a newcomer.

Whatever he got involved with at the company, whatever rash things he did, could be excused by that fact.

And as long as he was capable and smart, making rapid progress, Killian wouldn't fire him.

All things considered, I'd decided this person would become my confidant.

Sebastian stared at me, seemingly wondering whether I was joking or testing him.

But once he confirmed I was serious, he reached out his hand to me.

"Ms. Lacey, whatever you want to do, if there's any way I can help, you can call on me anytime." When he looked at me, there was indeed a tenderness flowing in his eyes.

After the Hamilton incident, I knew what most people thought of me.

They all saw me as a helpless little victim.

Killian's grooming of me was just a naked transaction—most people had already figured that out.

I just never expected I'd now be able to use that to my advantage so easily.

My contact with Sebastian didn't attract anyone else's attention.

But at the same time, Killian and Freya didn't seem to have given up on their schemes against me.

That day, I suddenly received a message.

I was sitting in my office when Sebastian rushed in.

I was about to speak when I saw him holding up his phone with a few large words on it: [Don't make a sound.]

Was my office bugged? My heart immediately tightened as I stood and walked toward him.

Sebastian looked around cautiously, then took his phone and typed quietly.

He passed me a very important piece of information.

A batch of smuggled jewelry had been hidden in my car.

Of course, I hadn't done this. In fact, when I saw this message, I froze completely.

Then Sebastian typed another line.

He said he was certain this was Freya's doing.

[She's already made an anonymous tip. The cops will come looking for you soon.]

[So you'd better act fast.]

After typing these lines, Sebastian put away his phone and left my office.

From start to finish, no one noticed he'd been there.

And I stood there, trembling all over.

Not from fear—purely from anger!

Without thinking twice, I immediately gathered my things and left.

To find Charles, or to find Virio.

Right now, only they could help me.

On my way to find Charles, I kept replaying everything that had happened recently.

After the failed tailing incident, I thought Freya would lay low for a while.

At least until we finished this project, she wouldn't try anything against me.

But I never imagined she'd be stupid enough to use this batch of missing smuggled jewelry to frame me!

If I were actually caught, it would definitely implicate the entire family.

But since Freya did this, it meant she'd already figured out how to keep the family clear.

Or maybe this was Killian's idea all along.

If I got reported and arrested, the project would undoubtedly be taken back by Killian, and he'd find someone to replace me.

That way, they could reclaim the project, punish me, and push this hot potato far away.

Really killing two birds with one stone.

But they probably didn't count on that company newbie being my person.

Things progressed very smoothly with Sebastian. Within days, he'd become my most trusted subordinate.

And I wasn't worried at all about him betraying me, because we shared common interests.

Thinking of this, I let out a cold laugh and pushed open Charles's office door. "I need your help with something."

My direct words caught Charles off guard. He looked up from the mountain of documents in front of him and walked toward me, then glanced at the office doorway. "Ms. Lacey, if you need something, why didn't you go to Mr. Soren instead of coming to me?"

I pressed my lips together lightly. "Mr. Soren has been very busy these past few days, hasn't he? Besides, you know more about my situation, so under these circumstances, I think asking you for help is the best approach."