Chapter 79 Protecting
Deborah’s mouth opened, a single word poised to escape, when the doors to the executive room swung open so suddenly it startled everyone inside. All heads snapped toward the entrance, the room’s thick, expectant silence snapping like a brittle wire. Knight strode in, each step purposeful and filled with unspoken urgency, his presence cutting through the heavy tension as if the air itself recognized the authority he carried.
“Stop this,” Knight said sharply, his gaze sweeping across every Board member and officer in the room. “You’re accusing my own sister in her own company.”
Deborah froze mid-breath, her pulse spiking. She barely recognized the controlled fury in her brother’s voice, a quiet storm ready to break. “Knight..…” she began, but he didn’t spare her a glance, instead focusing all his energy on the room of men and women who had cornered her with suspicion.
Vortega’s eyes narrowed, his hand tightening around the edge of the table. “Mr. Valmere, this is a closed Board discussion. If you have information to present, speak clearly. Otherwise, you are disrupting an official investigation.”
Knight’s voice dropped into a low, unwavering tone that left no room for argument. “I am speaking clearly. Ms. Valmere was not the woman seen with that young Luther Cain before the explosion. You are all operating under a mistaken assumption. Why would my sister do that with us all know that the Cain are our rival?!"
An auditor’s pen froze mid-note, his brows knitting in confusion. “Explain yourself, Mr. Valmere. Are you claiming the witness reports are fabricated?”
“No,” Knight said, taking a deliberate step forward, his eyes dark and unflinching. “I’m saying that the woman they mistook for Deborah was not Deborah at all. It was Alaina Renwick. Luther’s lover. You already saw her in the summit, didn't you? The one whose presence triggered your confusion.”
A murmur rose around the table, disbelief and irritation rippling through the room. “Alaina Renwick?” one Board member echoed sharply. “She is a private individual. How could she have gained access to a secure event of this magnitude?”
Knight’s jaw tightened. “She was smuggled in. She wore similar attire, styled her hair almost identically, and from a distance, enough to confuse any witness into thinking it was Deborah. I also know that she also came to the store where we look for our suits. If you cross-reference the security footage, you’ll see all the truth.”
An auditor leaned forward, voice skeptical. “Smuggled in? By whom? And why are you defending a theory rather than presenting evidence?”
“By Luther,” Knight said evenly, his tone cutting like steel through the room. “And I am presenting evidence. The security footage, verified by internal surveillance and timestamps, confirms it. You’ve been chasing shadows while you questioned Deborah, wasting your time on a false narrative.”
Vortega’s fingers drummed on the table, his irritation simmering beneath a tight composure. “This is a serious claim. Are you suggesting we’ve based our entire line of questioning on a misidentification?”
Knight’s gaze swept across each member of the Board, unrelenting. “Yes. And until you review the footage and see the facts, you have no right to drag Deborah into this! She did not orchestrate the attack. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone wanted to make her the scapegoat.”
Deborah sat rigid, heart pounding, watching the room tilt between disbelief and grudging acceptance. No one spoke for a moment, each person caught between the shock of Knight’s accusation and the implications it carried for the investigation.
One of the auditors cleared his throat, trying to regain control. “Mr. Valmere.... if your information is accurate, it raises further questions about Cain’s Dominion and why his associate was present at the gala. This complicates matters far beyond a simple misidentification.”
Knight’s eyes narrowed. “Do your questions have to involve dragging Deborah into suspicion? No. That ends now. You can investigate Cain, Alaina, and the Renard connections to your heart’s content but Deborah Valmere is NOT INVOLVE with that, stop accusing my sister, and never has been part of the scheme you’re constructing.”
Another Board member slammed a hand against the table, anger flickering across her face. “And you expect us to take your word for it? That we ignore everything our witnesses reported because your brother says so?”
Knight leaned slightly forward, voice low but steely, each word deliberate. “I don’t expect you to take my word blindly. I expect you to review the evidence I provided before I came here. I expect you to see that the narrative you’ve built around Deborah is false. If you proceed without verifying, you are making a grave mistake that could cost this company more than you realize.”
The room fell into a heavy silence, the tension so thick it seemed to hum against Deborah’s ears. All eyes turned toward her, and for a heartbeat she felt the weight of their scrutiny, though now it was laced with doubt rather than certainty.
Deborah’s fingers flexed lightly atop the table, a mixture of relief and unease coiling through her chest. Knight’s words had shielded her, but she knew the danger wasn’t gone..... it had simply shifted its focus. The Board might no longer suspect her, but someone had saw her that night with him, and Knight’s presence had only bought her time, not answers. Deborah thinking if knight is protecting her......
Vortega exhaled slowly, his voice quieter but sharper, slicing through the lingering tension. “We will review the footage. If your claims are substantiated, Mr. Valmere, this changes the entire investigation. But know this..... we will not ignore the facts, nor will we allow personal loyalties to cloud our judgment.”
Knight’s jaw tightened. “Go ahead. But do not mistake loyalty for deceit. Deborah Valmere is not the person you think she is. And anyone who tries to pin her to this narrative will answer to me personally.”
Deborah’s chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, the intensity of the confrontation leaving her both shaken and strangely grateful. As Knight finally stepped back, letting the Board absorb the weight of his words, she realized that the room’s atmosphere had shifted once again.....not entirely calm, but now charged with a tense, fragile clarity.
And yet, beneath that clarity, a cold thread of unease wound its way through her thoughts. Someone had wanted her blamed. Someone had orchestrated this entire deception. And while Knight had stopped the immediate threat, Deborah knew that discovering the truth behind the manipulation.....the one person pulling strings in the shadows......was far from over.
Her eyes met Knight’s across the table, and for a fleeting moment, they shared an unspoken understanding. Deborah mouthed 'thank you'. And night just look at her like saying 'you have to explain to me later all of your issues.'