Chapter 75 75
Chapter 75 75
"Perfect," Madeline whispered to her reflection in the large mirror hanging on her bedroom wall.
The apartment was not particularly large, but it was located in a highly strategic part of downtown New York. Everything looked clean, tidy, and classy. Madeline smiled with satisfaction as she looked at her appearance this morning. She was wearing a crisp, neatly ironed white shirt, wrapped in a stiff black blazer that fit her body perfectly. Her brown hair was pulled back into a very neat ponytail, projecting the image of a highly trustworthy, professional secretary.
With the generous salary she received from the Craig Corporation, Madeline could now enjoy a very comfortable life. She no longer had to worry about expensive apartment rent or the price of the designer clothes she usually wore to work. All her life needs had been met with great ease since she took over the position of Raymond Craig’s personal secretary.
She remembered how nerve-wracking the day was when Evan, Raymond’s head of security, thoroughly vetted her entire background. Thanks to Theo’s help in forging her entire resume flawlessly, as well as forcing Jessica to resign immediately, Madeline was able to appear as the best and most pristine candidate in Raymond’s eyes.
"Raymond Craig... you think your fortress is impenetrable," Madeline whispered again to the mirror with a cynical smile full of cunning. "But you never knew that the thorn in your side is now standing right before your eyes."
As she reached for her briefcase and stepped toward the front door, her other phone—the one for special communications lying on the glass table—vibrated loudly. The screen lit up, displaying an incoming message from an unknown number, but Madeline knew exactly who the sender was.
'Don't get too comfortable, remember our conversation last night. The plan must be executed immediately to trap Raymond.'
Madeline took a deep breath, then quickly typed a reply on her phone screen.
'Of course, I am looking for a gap where Raymond is off guard.'
Not long after she sent the message, her phone vibrated again. Madeline let out a short sigh, then pressed the green button to answer the call coming from the same number.
"Hello?" Madeline said in a half-whisper, ensuring no one else could hear her conversation.
"Did you receive my message?" Theo’s deep voice sounded cold on the other end of the line.
"I did. I was just about to leave for the office," Madeline replied, walking slowly toward the large window of her apartment, staring at the city streets beginning to bustle with traffic. "You don't need to text me so often, Theo. Raymond is a very perceptive man. If he catches a whiff of anything strange, all our plans will fall apart."
"I just want to make sure you don't get complacent with your new luxurious life there," Theo replied with a cynical tone. "The salary from Craig Corporation must be very sweet, right? Don't let that money make you forget our original goal."
"Of course not," Madeline replied quickly, her voice suddenly turning sharp. "I know exactly what I have to do. Raymond has started to trust me, especially after our trip to Germany yesterday. Even though he was angry about my outfit during the gala dinner, he cannot underestimate my performance at the office."
"Good. Find out all the information about his personal assets, confidential company documents, and his family's entire schedule. Especially his wife, Clara, and his children," Theo ordered mercilessly. "That arrogant man must feel what it's like to lose everything, just like when he killed David."
"I'm working on it," Madeline said calmly. "Raymond is very protective of his family. But no matter how strong the fortress he builds, there must be a crack where he will be off guard. And I will make sure I am there when that happens."
"Don't disappoint me, Madeline. Remember, I am the one who put you in that position," Theo threatened before abruptly hanging up.
Madeline lowered her phone, staring at the screen that had now gone dark. She took a deep breath, straightened her black blazer one more time, and stepped out of her apartment with full confidence to carry out her mission.
Meanwhile, in an old, dilapidated, and isolated house on the outskirts of New York, the atmosphere felt very cold and grim. The morning sunlight could only penetrate the cracks of the dusty wooden windows, providing faint illumination inside a small, cramped bedroom.
On a rotting wooden bed, a middle-aged woman named Laura lay with slow, heavy breaths. Her face looked very pale, and her body appeared thin due to the illness she suffered without proper medical treatment.
Beside the bed, a young woman named Jessica sat faithfully, holding her mother’s hand, which felt very cold. Jessica was a former assistant at Craig Corporation who was forced to resign to meet Theo’s cruel demands. Her eyes were swollen and glassy, looking at her mother’s face with immense sadness and guilt.
Mommy, hold on," Jessica whispered in a voice trembling to hold back tears. "Please, hold on. You will get better. Theo promised he would treat you after I agreed to his wish to resign from Mr. Raymond’s company and put Madeline there in my place."
Laura opened her eyes slowly, looking at her daughter with a gaze full of deep sadness. "Yes, Mommy knows, Jessica... But, you have worked for Mr. Raymond for a long time. He is a very kind person to our family."
"I know, Mommy. I know that very well," Jessica bowed her head, letting her tears fall onto the dull bedsheets. "Mr. Raymond may look very cold and intimidating on the outside, but he never cut my salary even when I had to frequently ask for time off to take care of you. He always treated his employees very fairly."