Chapter 65
“Noreen, do you have any idea what calling the police could do to the company?” Seth’s expression shifted in an instant, his face hardening.
Of course, Noreen knew.
But what did that have to do with her anymore?
This was no longer the Aurelion Group she once cared about; there was no reason for her to keep making sacrifices.
So she stood her ground. “All I want is to clear my name.”
Maybe it was the first time Seth had ever seen Noreen so resolute, because for once, he fell silent.
The air hung heavy with tension.
Noreen handed Bianca’s phone back to her.
She hadn’t expected Seth’s permission–didn’t even hope for him to take her side in this moment.
She only had herself to rely on.
Without a second thought, Noreen dialed the police.
Bianca’s face drained of color. “Seth, she called the police. You’d better get back here. Now.”
Seth arrived almost at the same time as the officers–probably worried that Bianca might be upset, he’d rushed straight over.
Noreen gave the police a straightforward account of what had happened, asking them to help uncover the truth and clear her name.
Because there was no security footage from inside the storage room, the officers suggested a technical investigation–fingerprint analysis and the like. It would be a hassle, but it would identify the real culprit.
But for that, they’d need authorization from the owner of the gown.
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Chapter 65
In the end, it still depended on Seth’s approval. Newest update provıded by.net
Bianca instinctively moved closer to Seth. “Seth, this could turn into something much bigger than we want. We really have to think about what this means for the company.”
Seth’s face was like carved ice. His gaze swept the room, finally landing
on Noreen.
She couldn’t help but shiver.
“I’m sorry, officers. This is an internal company matter. We’ll handle it ourselves. Thank you for your trouble,” Seth said at last.
Noreen had expected as much, but hearing him say it aloud still made her heart twist painfully.
The officers, seeing that the parties could settle things privately, were only too happy to leave.
As soon as they were gone, Seth’s demeanor turned calm on the surface, but his eyes were cold and sharp as a blade.
“Are you satisfied now?” he asked Noreen.
She gave a tight smile, her voice anything but gentle. “Are you blaming me, Mr. Harcourt?”
“You know what kind of damage this could do to the company. Why go to the police?”
Seth looked down at her from above, his stare dark and menacing.
Noreen didn’t feel she’d done anything wrong. She met his gaze head–on, her words ringing out clear and strong.
“Because I won’t take the fall for something I didn’t do. Because I want my name cleared.”
“Or do you think I should just swallow the blame, Mr. Harcourt? Why? What makes you think I owe you that?”
She didn’t owe anyone here–least of all Seth.
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Why should she back down? Why should she be the one to endure it?
Right now, Noreen was bristling with invisible quills, like a hedgehog ready to defend herself against the world–including Seth.
To him, she seemed like a stranger.
The Noreen in his memory had always been yielding, never fighting, always putting the Aurelion Group’s reputation above her own.
Sophia, standing to the side, was so startled by the confrontation that she didn’t even dare to breathe.
The tension was suffocating until Bianca broke the silence. “Let it go, Seth. Maybe Secretary Gilmore really was wrongly accused–no wonder she’s upset.”
“She’s been your secretary for years. You chose not to go ahead with the forensics because you trust her. The truth isn’t important anymore. Let’s just put this behind us.”
Noreen looked at her, truly seeing the ugliness in people’s hearts for the
first time.
What a clever move–pretending to smooth things over, but every word was full of hidden barbs.