Chapter51 The Missing Proposal
Midday.
The caregiver brought lunch, but Miranda had little appetite.
She ate a few bites and picked up her phone.
Her biggest worry right now was the company. She'd just secured the loan, and they were at a critical stage of project development. She couldn't let her hospitalization stop the momentum.
She called Lisa.
"Miranda, you weren't in today. Is everything okay at home?" Lisa asked immediately when she picked up.
When Lisa heard Miranda was in the hospital, she was shocked and felt guilty for not leaving with her the day before.
"I'm fine. Just a small injury. I'll be back on my feet soon," Miranda said casually, not wanting to worry her. She quickly got to the point: "Lisa, I might be in the hospital for a while, so I need you to step up at the company. Keep everyone pushing the project forward as planned. Call me anytime if you run into any issues."
"Don't worry, we've got things covered here!" Lisa immediately responded. "You focus on healing. That's all that matters right now!"
"Okay," Miranda replied. Then she suddenly remembered something. "Hey, could you go to my office now? In the top left drawer, there's a core project proposal. Grab it for me and send it to me in an encrypted email."
"Sure, hold on a sec."
Miranda hung up and waited quietly. That drawer had a custom-made combination lock; nobody but her could open it.
However, only a few minutes later, Lisa called back. This time, her voice carried an undeniable tone of seriousness and tension.
"Miranda, I used the combination, but the drawer is empty. The proposal isn't here."
"Are you sure you checked the right place?"
No way, Miranda thought, knitting her perfect brows.
She had just checked the document and locked it in the drawer herself before leaving for the celebration dinner yesterday.
How could it be missing?
"I didn't forget. I locked it up myself before I left yesterday."
That proposal was the lifeblood of her entire company. She couldn't afford to lose it! It must have been stolen.
A chill ran down her spine. She forced herself to calm down, her mind racing.
"Lisa, check the surveillance footage outside my office immediately!" Her voice was cold and urgent over the phone. "Find out who went into my office after I left yesterday afternoon!"
"Got it." Lisa recognized the severity of the situation and agreed at once.
Ten minutes later, Lisa called Miranda back with the results.
"Miranda, from the time you left yesterday evening until I came in this morning, about an hour of the surveillance footage has been deliberately deleted!"
Miranda's heart sank. This wasn't an accident; it was premeditated theft!
She closed her eyes. When she opened them, her gaze was icy. "At the dinner last night, was anyone a no-show?"
Lisa paused, then immediately realized: "Yes, two people didn't come to the dinner."
"Two people..." Miranda's knuckles were white as she gripped the phone. "Lisa, don't say anything yet. Keep a close eye on those two. Watch for any unusual moves, especially concerning their finances or any recent business contacts with outsiders."
"I understand!"
As soon as she hung up, Miranda wasted no time. She called another number, contacting a cybersecurity expert and asking him to try and restore the deleted footage.
Only after doing all this did she lean back, exhausted. Her chest wound throbbed from the adrenaline rush.
Night.
The hospital room door opened gently. Clifton wheeled himself in, holding a beautiful insulated food carrier.
"The doctor said you need to keep up your nutrition," he said. He placed the container on the nightstand and opened it, letting the aroma of the nourishing meal fill the room.
A wave of warmth washed over Miranda as she looked at him. She was about to reach for the food when the door was pushed open from the outside, more forcefully this time.
"Miranda!"
A frantic female voice rang out. Arabella and Christian walked in, looking hurried and stressed.
Miranda froze when she saw her mother and brother suddenly appear.
Arabella and Christian stopped dead in their tracks, too. They had imagined their daughter lying weakly in bed, but they had not expected to find a man in her room.
Clifton, thinking Miranda had called them, broke the silence first. He nodded slightly at Arabella and Christian, his voice low and polite: "Ma'am, Sir."
This address stunned Arabella and Christian into silence.
Christian frowned, his gaze flicking between Clifton and his sister. Finally, it settled on Clifton, his tone one of suspicion and displeasure: "Who are you?"
Clifton's deep, dark eyes flashed with understanding. He glanced at the visibly awkward Miranda, guessing she hadn't told her family about the rushed marriage.
He said nothing more, giving the control to her. After all, he wasn't sure if Miranda wanted her family to know about their relationship.
Miranda felt her cheeks burn under her mother and brother's intense stares. She opened her mouth, her voice barely a whisper.
"Mom, Christian... He's... he's my husband, Clifton."
"What did you just say?!" Arabella's voice instantly rose, her face full of disbelief.
Christian stared at his sister, equally shocked. Husband? When did she get married? Why didn't they know anything about it?
Seeing the situation, Clifton realized the family needed space to talk. He maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door, his voice still steady: "I'll step out and let you all talk."
Once the door closed, Arabella rushed to the bedside, grabbing Miranda's hand. "Miranda! What is going on? You and him... When did you get married?"
"Uh, just... a while ago." Miranda was feeling dizzy from her mother shaking her hand. "Mom, it's complicated. Basically, he needed a wife, and I needed someone to back me up, so we just got married."
"Back you up?" Christian suddenly remembered something. He stared intently at Miranda. "Miranda, that money you got for my company to stay afloat... Did Prescott give it to you?"
Miranda bit her lip, eventually nodding. "Yes."