Chapter 195: Injustice Redressed
Chapter 195: Injustice Redressed
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting warm patches across the bedroom floor.
The first thing Emily did after waking was grab the tablet from her nightstand and pull up her news feed.
The photo on the screen stopped her cold—Lonnie being led away by police.
He wore a rumpled suit, his hair disheveled and plastered to his forehead. The confident gleam that once lit his eyes had been replaced by raw panic and defeat.
His hands were cuffed, his head bowed, his shoulders hunched—all traces of the powerful business mogul he'd once been had vanished.
Looking at that photo, Emily released a long, deep breath—one that had been trapped in her chest for years.
Vindication surged through her like an electric current, making her fingertips tingle.
But right behind that satisfaction came a wave of frustration and bitterness.
Lonnie getting what he deserved wasn't enough.
The false accusations Ulysses had suffered all those years ago, that label of "fugitive from justice"—it all had to be completely cleared.
She needed Lonnie to confess with his own mouth. She needed an official conclusion stamped with the government seal. She needed everyone who'd ever misunderstood Ulysses to know the truth and restore his good name.
"You saw?" Michael's deep voice sounded beside her, rough with sleep.
He'd apparently woken up too and was lying on his side watching her, his arm naturally draped around her waist, his palm resting warmly on her slightly rounded belly.
His fingertips traced gentle circles, as if soothing her while also sensing the life growing within.
Emily set down the tablet and turned to bury her face in his warm chest, her voice muffled, carrying a barely detectable catch.
"Yeah. Michael, thank you... but I'm still not satisfied. My dad lived his whole life with integrity, worked so hard to build the Harrison Group, and ended up with that kind of reputation. He can't keep carrying that accusation..."
Her tears silently soaked through Michael's pajama shirt, the burning sensation seeping through the fabric and tightening his chest.
Michael gently stroked her hair, his fingers threading through the silky strands with tender but firm movements. His eyes remained calm as deep pools, radiating a confidence that said he had everything under control.
"I know. Don't worry, leave this to me. Lonnie's trapped now, and he's still sitting on plenty of dirty deals. Getting him to talk is just a matter of time.
I've already had my lawyers coordinate with the police. They'll make the Harrison Group case a priority. I'll make sure he spells out exactly how he framed your father, how he embezzled assets, how he fabricated evidence and pinned it all on him."
His words carried an unquestionable authority that instantly smoothed away the last traces of anxiety and restlessness in Emily's heart.
She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears but full of trust. "Can we really? It's been so many years..."
"We can."
Michael lifted his hand and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes with his thumb, its warmth chasing away the chill on her face.
"I found the Harrison Group's accountant from back then. He's got backup copies of the financial records, plus several key technical staff members who were pushed out by Lonnie. They're all willing to testify. The chain of evidence is basically complete. Lonnie can't deny it."
Emily nodded and hugged him tightly, placing all her trust in him.
Feeling his solid embrace and steady heartbeat, the massive weight on her chest finally began to lift.
Michael's efficiency was, as always, remarkable.
Under his arrangements and pressure, the police interrogation of Lonnie proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
In just two days, faced with an ironclad chain of evidence and intense psychological tactics, Lonnie's defenses completely crumbled.
At first he tried to deflect and deny, but when police laid out the financial transfer records provided by the Harrison Group's accountant, testimony from the technical staff, and recordings of his communications with his inside man that Michael's team had uncovered—
His face turned progressively paler until he finally collapsed in the interrogation chair, unable to offer any rebuttal.
He had no choice but to confess to all the financial crimes he'd committed over the years.
He admitted that he'd long coveted the Harrison Group's core technology and market share, secretly colluding with the company's VP—Ulysses's most trusted subordinate—to steal technical documents from the inside.
When Ulysses caught wind of something and prepared to investigate, they staged an "accident," pushing him off the office building's rooftop.
Then they fabricated evidence of embezzlement and leaked trade secrets, pinning everything on him and claiming publicly that he'd "committed suicide out of guilt."
Lonnie had even kept some of the communications records and financial transaction evidence from back then as insurance, which now all became ironclad proof of his guilt.
When Michael handed Emily the copies of Lonnie's signed full confession, her hands trembled violently.
Those few thin pages weighed a thousand pounds.
The contents clearly documented how Ulysses had been framed.
Tears instantly blurred her vision, but she bit her lip hard to keep from breaking down.
She turned the pages one by one, her fingertips tracing over those cold words as if she could feel her father's despair and resentment from all those years ago.
Dad, do you see? The person who hurt you has finally confessed.
She repeated this silently in her mind, tears still falling despite her efforts, dropping onto the pages and spreading into small wet spots.
Michael stood beside her without speaking, just gently patting her back, offering silent support.
He knew that any words would fall short right now. Only by making the truth public could they truly bring peace to Emily and Ulysses's spirit.
Emily didn't waste a moment. She immediately contacted the most credible media outlets and, in her capacity as the sole daughter of the Harrison Group founder, called an emergency press conference.
The conference venue was packed, camera flashes strobing constantly like daylight.
Emily wore a dignified black suit, her hair pulled back immaculately to reveal her smooth forehead and softly defined jawline.
Though her baby bump was now slightly visible, she stood ramrod straight, like a pine tree standing proud in winter.
Her expression was composed, but her eyes were clear and resolute, radiating an inviolable strength.
Standing at the podium, she took the microphone from the host, first bowing deeply, then slowly beginning to speak: "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for coming. I'm Emily Harrison.
I've asked you all here today to reveal a truth that's been buried for years—something that concerns my father's innocence and dignity."
Her voice was calm and clear, carrying through the sound system across the entire venue. The previously noisy crowd instantly quieted, all eyes focused on her.
"Ten years ago, the Harrison Group experienced a sudden crisis. My father was accused of embezzlement, then found dead after falling from a building. It was officially ruled a suicide out of guilt.
For ten years, that accusation has weighed on me and everyone who believed in my father like a mountain.
But I've always believed that my father—a man who spent his life working diligently, who was generous to his employees and honest with his partners—would never do such a thing."
At this point, Emily's voice caught slightly. She took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions churning inside her, and continued.
"Now, the truth has finally come to light. Lonnie—the mastermind who orchestrated this conspiracy—has been arrested by police and has personally confessed to how he colluded with traitors, stole technology, and framed my father."
As soon as Emily finished speaking, a wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the audience below.