Chapter 103 Framing Zachary
Landon was clearly trying to corner her.
Quinley looked at him coolly. "Sorry, Mr. Jennings, but I can't prove something that doesn't exist—unless you want me to frame myself."
Facing Landon's aggression, Quinley didn't back down an inch.
Landon let out a cold laugh, studying Quinley more carefully. He was just realizing he'd seriously underestimated her. She wasn't nearly as fragile as she looked—when the situation called for it, she had claws.
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Landon, don't waste your breath on this woman. Let's just call the cops."
But Landon stopped her with a look. "Mom, go check on Coco. Let me handle this."
Emily still seemed reluctant, but mother and son were clearly in cahoots. She shot Quinley one venomous glare before turning on her heel and leaving.
Once Emily was gone, Landon's entire demeanor shifted to something more calculating. "Quinley, have a seat. Let's talk."
Landon plopped down, crossing his legs, eyes sharp and assessing as he looked at Quinley.
"Mr. Jennings, what exactly do you want to discuss?" Quinley remained standing, arms crossed.
Landon chuckled. "My son died because of you. Don't you think that's worth discussing?"
"I don't think that's really what you want to talk about, is it?"
Quinley was sharp enough to see right through him.
"Smart. No wonder Zach valued you so highly." Landon let out a sigh of admiration, but his cold eyes quickly returned to Quinley. "Since you're so clever, you should know what matters most to me right now. I'm a businessman—it's all about profit. If you're willing to work with me..."
He trailed off deliberately, laying out a trap and waiting for Quinley to walk into it.
But to his disappointment, Quinley just stared at him with an innocent expression, refusing to take the bait.
"How about this—I'll give you a million dollars to do something for me." Landon cut straight to the point. Though he didn't specify what that something was, Quinley had already guessed.
"That's a bit low." Quinley switched into negotiation mode.
Landon was caught off guard. He narrowed his eyes, looking Quinley over again from head to toe. This woman kept defying his expectations. He'd always had a taste for the unexpected, and right now, Quinley was fascinating.
"So what do you want?"
"Two million. Not a penny less."
Quinley countered with the audacity of someone going for the throat. Unlike Zachary, Landon was a complete trust fund brat—all flash, no substance. If there was a chance to fleece someone like that, Quinley wasn't about to pass it up.
"Quite the appetite."
Landon didn't immediately agree. This time, Quinley smiled. "That money's just a drop in the bucket for Apex Global Group. But if I help you, you'll secure your position as CEO permanently. You're a businessman—I'm sure you understand cost-benefit analysis better than I do."
Landon laughed loudly. He stood up, pointing at Quinley. "I like working with smart people."
Landon pulled out his phone and made a call. Within moments, two million dollars appeared in Quinley's account. She carefully counted the zeros—not a cent off.
This time, she was selling out Zachary, and the price was pretty decent.
"Ms. Elikin, I'm afraid this might be uncomfortable for you." Landon's eyes darkened. Quinley followed him toward the exit. Outside the emergency room, police officers were already waiting.
"After you." Landon gestured, and immediately officers stepped forward to take Quinley's arms.
"Ms. Quinley, you're implicated in an attempted murder case. We need you to come to the station for further questioning."
The script was familiar by now. Quinley remained composed, eyes downcast, following the officers out. But she didn't notice the two people with cameras in the distance, capturing everything.
Quinley had barely been at the station an hour when news of her alleged murder attempt was already spreading through the media. This whole elaborate trap had been set for Zachary.
Quinley was the bait, Zachary was the fish, and Landon was the fisherman. What he wanted to see was Zachary losing control—only then could the charges stick to him properly.
#Zachary Orchestrates Former Secretary's Murder of Unborn Nephew#
Landon had even thought up the headline. He was building castles in the air, hoping this one move would destroy any chance Zachary had of recovering.
And things went exactly as he predicted—Zachary took the bait.
The moment Zachary saw the news, he lost his composure. Quinley was involved in a murder case, and the victim was Landon's son. He started heading for the police station, but Lucas blocked his path.
"Mr. Jennings, you can't go. This whole thing is too suspicious. Your brother just took over three days ago, and suddenly his child is gone because of Ms. Elikin? She has no grudge against him—why would she hurt his baby? If you show up now, everyone will assume you're involved."
Lucas saw through the entire scheme, and Zachary understood the logic perfectly well. But this was Quinley—he couldn't just stand by and watch her get dragged through the mud.
"If I don't go, will that somehow make me less involved?" Zachary's voice was sharp.
Lucas's brow furrowed deeply. Zachary had already been kicked out of Apex Global Group by Landon. If he got branded a murderer on top of that, he'd never recover.
"Mr. Jennings, let me go instead."
Zachary's cold gaze swept over him. He clapped a hand on Lucas's shoulder. "No need."
When Zachary and Lucas arrived at the police station, reporters were already swarming the entrance.
"Mr. Jennings, you can't go in," Lucas protested one last time. But Zachary opened the car door and stepped out anyway.
Sure enough, the moment he appeared, every camera turned on him.
"Mr. Jennings, are you involved in this murder case?"
"Did you really order your former secretary to kill your brother's unborn child?"
"You did this because Landon took your CEO position, didn't you?"
Countless microphones were shoved in Zachary's face. His expression remained frozen, but he refused to say a single word.
In a Mercedes parked nearby, Landon watched through narrowed eyes, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Zachary took the bait. We can all sleep easy now." He gripped his phone, a smile spreading across his face.
When Zachary appeared before Quinley, she wasn't surprised in the slightest. "Are you okay?" In the visitation room, Zachary sat across from Quinley, his face grave, his voice gentle.
"You shouldn't have come." Quinley sighed softly, eyes downcast. In this elaborate play, she was Landon's accomplice.
"If I didn't come, could you have gotten out?" Zachary's eyes were dark and penetrating as he looked at her.
Quinley's heart sank. Zachary was too sharp—he'd immediately seen through the trap. "Thank you, Mr. Jennings."
Quinley smiled faintly, her expression still perfectly composed.
The visitation was brief. Zachary stood to leave, but stopped at the door. "Quinley, is there nothing else you want to say to me?"
The distance between them stretched wider by the second. Their gazes met—distant, like strangers.
He waited for Quinley to say something, but she remained silent.
"Safe travels!" Quinley finally smiled—that trademark innocent grin.
Zachary looked away, disappointment flashing through his eyes before he turned and walked out with determined steps.
Outside, the reporters were still there. When they saw him emerge, they swarmed like bees.
"Mr. Jennings, you targeted an unborn child—do you really have no regard for family ties?"
A reporter called out. Zachary had planned to ignore them, but then he caught sight of that Mercedes in the parking lot. His expression instantly darkened.
"Brothers? Ha. A bastard like him doesn't deserve that title."
During William and Sylvia's marriage, Emily had gotten pregnant with Landon. William only married Emily two months after Landon was born.
Zachary wasn't wrong to call Landon illegitimate. But outsiders didn't know the history from twenty years ago—they just assumed Zachary was slandering Landon to grab power.
Public opinion was like a flood—it could swallow someone whole in an instant.
In just one night, Zachary's reputation collapsed completely. He became the villain—ruthless, scheming, utterly despicable.
Early the next morning, police came to Maple Estate. Zachary was arrested, and at the same time, Quinley was released.