Chapter 228

Chapter 228

But James dodged easily, holding the voice recorder high up where she couldn't reach it at all.

"And then what? You're planning to take this recording and confront Philip with it?"

Catherine had completely lost her cool.

"Yes!"

James chuckled and put the voice recorder back in his pocket.

"It won't work. Even if you take this recording to question Philip, with his talent for fooling people, he'll definitely come up with a perfect story to deceive you."

He paused, looking at Catherine's face twisted with anger, and continued to reveal the truth.

"You know what? Years ago, Philip signed a betting agreement with foreign investors. The stake was fifty billion dollars. If he lost, he would have to give up more than thirty percent of Nova Pharmaceuticals' shares."

Catherine froze. She had never heard about the betting agreement.

James continued, "That agreement—he won it entirely thanks to your father's formula."

"In 2017, my dad gave your father's formula to Philip. That same year, Nova Pharmaceuticals made a profit of forty billion dollars from projects related to that formula. It was this money that helped Philip win that bet at the last moment."

"He won by a hair. The final total profit was exactly one million dollars more than fifty billion. He definitely calculated that number."

"The betting agreement's deadline was December 12, 2017, and my dad didn't officially hand over your father's formula to Nova Pharmaceuticals until August 1st."

Something exploded in Catherine's mind. A flash of insight made her realize the most terrifying point.

"My dad... my dad died on July 28th."

"Philip made forty billion dollars in just four months from August to December. This proves... this proves..."

She didn't dare continue. The answer on the tip of her tongue made her blood run cold.

James sneered and cruelly voiced the terrible suspicion in her heart.

"This proves that Philip had already signed cooperation projects with third parties before he even got the formula."

"He had already set up the whole scheme, calculated all the timing. All he needed was for my dad to deliver the formula into his hands at that exact moment."

"Terry was the knife that killed, but Philip was the one holding the knife—the real murderer who killed your parents!"

"So... it was all calculated..."

Catherine murmured, tears finally breaking through, sliding silently down her pale cheeks.

So from beginning to end, it was all an elaborate scheme.

That tiny bit of love and dependence that had just begun to sprout was so laughable and foolish.

She had actually fallen in love with the demon who had personally pushed her entire family into hell.

The enormous hatred and pain of betrayal made her wish she were dead.

From start to finish, she had been nothing but a chess piece manipulated in his palm.

Catherine walked out of the beauty salon, utterly disoriented. Blondie immediately came up to her. "Ms. Levin, your hair is done? It looks beautiful."

Catherine nodded expressionlessly, unable to say a word.

Back at the villa, the living room was brightly lit.

Philip had actually come home early.

He sat on the sofa holding some documents. Hearing the door open, he looked up at her.

When he saw her pale face and swollen eyes, his handsome brows furrowed.

"What's wrong? Did someone upset you?"

He stood up and walked toward her, his tone full of concern.

Catherine looked at his devastatingly handsome face and the fake concern in his eyes, and felt waves of nausea.

This was the man who spoke the sweetest words in the gentlest tone, while secretly planning the cruelest conspiracy.

She forced down the urge to rush at him and tear off his disguise, forcing a smile.

"Nothing, just... a bit tired from shopping."

Her voice was hoarse and dry, strange even to herself.

Philip walked up to her, his deep gaze locked on her, as if trying to read something from her face.

He raised his hand, wanting to touch her face.

But Catherine instinctively stepped back, avoiding his touch.

Philip's movement froze in mid-air, a flash of coldness in his eyes.

The air instantly solidified.

Catherine's heart jumped to her throat. She knew her reaction had been too strong.

She quickly lowered her head, using fatigue to cover her panic.

"I'm really tired. I want to go upstairs and rest."

After saying this, she practically fled past him and hurried upstairs.

Philip stood in place, watching her panicked retreating figure, a storm brewing in his deep eyes.

Catherine rushed into the bedroom and locked the door behind her.

She leaned against the cold door panel, her body slowly sliding down until she collapsed on the carpet.

The pain and hatred she had suppressed for so long completely erupted at this moment. She hugged her knees, buried her face deeply, and cried silently.

After who knows how long, she slowly raised her head and dragged her numb body to the vanity.

In the mirror was a face streaked with tears.

Those eyes that had once been cool and lively were now filled with bone-deep hatred.

She looked at herself in the mirror and made a vow in her heart.

'Philip, I will make you pay in blood.' She thought.



She took a deep breath and dialed a number on her backup phone.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. James's voice came through, sounding hungover.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

James on the other end seemed to sober up a bit. "...Is that you? Emily?"

"I believe what you said. Philip is the real killer."

James's breathing instantly became rapid. "Then you... what are you going to do? Are you leaving Philip? I'll take you away, let's go now!"

"Leave?" Catherine sneered. "James, besides saying 'leave,' what else can you say? Where can you take me? Somewhere your dad can't find, where Philip can't find either? Do you have that ability?"

The other end fell into dead silence.

"I don't want to leave." Catherine's voice suddenly rose. "I want revenge! I want Philip to be completely ruined, to lose everything!"

James was startled by the hatred in her tone. "You... what do you want to do? Philip... he's not someone we can deal with."

"Just because you can't deal with him doesn't mean I can't." Catherine said coldly. "I want to meet with Terry."

"What?" James was shocked. "Are you crazy! My dad... he won't see you!"

"He will." Catherine said firmly, "Tell him I have something that can destroy Philip completely. If he wants to protect himself, if he doesn't want to be thrown away by Philip like a discarded pawn, he'd better come see me."

"Also," Catherine paused, "tell him I can help the West family take over Nova Pharmaceuticals."