Chapter 281
Cormac stood silently, watching as Alaric drove away from the office. The weight of the flash drive in his hand felt like a heavy stone, pressing down on him. The guilt was overwhelming, his conscience a constant reminder of the wrong turn he had taken. It had been a late night, and as the minutes ticked by, he remained seated in the office, alone with his thoughts, unable to shake the dread gnawing at him.
Ambrose’s message flashed across his phone:
Once you have the flash drive, Mr. Nash, you can place it in locker 102 at Euphoria Center. As soon as the results come out tomorrow, the promise will be fulfilled immediately.
With no way back now, Cormac slipped the flash drive into his pocket and followed the instructions without hesitation. When he reached the locker, he closed it with a sense of finality, knowing there was no turning back from the mistake he had made.
That night, sleep eluded him. His mind raced with thoughts of what would happen when Alaric found out. The weight of the consequences was unbearable, but Cormac’s resolve was clear. He would turn himself in, report the Vale family’s threats, and face whatever came next. As long as Aurora was safe, it would be worth it.
The next morning, Silas, as always, was the first to check the flash drive. His hands shook as he inserted it into the computer, only to find it completely empty.
“Mr. Knight, something’s off. The flash drive is empty; there’s nothing on it,” Silas reported, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Alaric’s brows furrowed as he quickly checked the drive himself. The result was the same—nothing. After a few attempts to recover the data, it became clear: the flash drive had been tampered with.
“The flash drive was switched,” Alaric said, his voice calm but with an edge of frustration.
Silas stood frozen, his mind racing. “But how could the flash drive have been switched? It’s always been with you, Mr. Knight.”
Alaric didn’t respond right away, his thoughts turning over the events of the past few days. How could he have been so careless?
Silas, sensing the gravity of the situation, asked the question that was on both of their minds. “What do we do now, Mr. Knight? The deadline is almost here. There’s no time to redo the draft.”
The designers had only their hand-drawn drafts left. The electronic version, with its professional color adjustments, was the only one that had any chance of winning the bid.
Just as the tension reached its peak, Silas’ phone rang. It was the head of the jewelry company.
“Hello,” Silas answered, trying to keep his voice steady.
“The deadline is almost here, and Far East International has already submitted their draft,” the head said sharply. “You’re running out of time.”
“I know, but we have a small issue here. Could you give us just a bit more time? We’ll get it to you soon…” Silas pleaded.
The head cut him off. “Silas, this is a competition. Far East International has followed the rules and submitted on time. If we give you an extension, they’ll object. We simply can’t do that.”
Silas wanted to argue, but Alaric held up a hand, signaling him to stop. “Alright, I understand. I apologize for the inconvenience,” Silas said with a forced calm before ending the call.
He turned to Alaric, clearly stressed. “What do we do now, Mr. Knight? Do we just give up?”
Alaric’s response was almost too calm. “What else can we do?”
“But how could this happen?” Silas muttered. “We were so careful. How is this possible?”
Alaric sighed. “Enough. It’s done. Inform them that we’re giving up the acquisition.”
Silas hesitated, clearly stunned by Alaric’s decision, but there seemed to be no other option. They were out of time, and the situation was beyond repair.
After Silas left, Alaric sat alone in the office, his mind working through the events of the past few days. He replayed the interactions, trying to figure out where things had gone wrong. It was then that the realization struck him—he had been careless. But if things had gone the way he suspected, perhaps it was better to have been careless now than later.
As the minutes ticked by, Alaric found himself thinking about his family. He picked up the phone and dialed Stellan’s number.
“Galatea, I have some work to finish tonight. I’ll be home late. You go ahead and take the kids home,” Alaric said, trying to sound casual.
“Alright, but don’t stay too late. You need to take care of yourself, okay?” Stellan reminded him gently.
“I know. Don’t worry. I won’t be too late,” Alaric assured her before hanging up.
He stared out of the floor-to-ceiling window for a long moment, the cigarette in his hand glowing in the dim light. He exhaled slowly, the smoke swirling around him as his thoughts drifted.
A noise at the door made him turn. Cormac stood in the doorway, his expression a mixture of guilt and resolve.
“I knew you’d be here,” Cormac said quietly, stepping inside.
Alaric’s gaze didn’t leave him as he took another drag from the cigarette. “Is Aurora safe?”
The question surprised Cormac. He had expected Alaric to ask, Why did you do it? instead.
“You figured it out?” Cormac asked, though his voice was low.
“It wasn’t hard,” Alaric replied calmly. “Is she safe now?”
“She’s safe,” Cormac answered, his relief evident in his tone.
After a brief silence, Cormac spoke again. “I’m sorry for the loss this caused to your company. But I’m going to turn myself in. I’ll report everything—the Vale family’s threats, everything. I don’t know if I’ll make it, but there’s a chance. If I succeed, maybe you still have a chance to acquire the jewelry company.”
Alaric’s gaze never wavered. “You’re going to turn yourself in?”
“Yes,” Cormac said firmly. “I made the mistake, and now I have to face the consequences.”
Alaric looked at him for a long moment before asking, “And after facing the consequences, what then?”
Cormac froze. He hadn’t considered that part. After facing the consequences, what would be left?
Alaric’s voice was low, almost bitter as he continued. “Let those who don’t know the truth celebrate. Let them say the Nash family is full of bad people, that you deserve your punishment. Let them claim they’re righteous, demanding you be punished and locked away like Griffon. Is that what you want?”
Cormac felt his chest tighten at the mention of Griffon’s name. The words cut deeper than he expected.
Alaric’s tone hardened. “People make mistakes, but you were never the one at fault here. You say the Vale family threatened you, but do you have any evidence? After everything with the Nash family, do you really think anyone will believe you? If you accuse them without proof, they’ll counter-accuse you, and who do you think the public will side with? In the end, it’s you who will suffer.”
The words hung heavy in the room. Cormac felt a deep sense of confusion wash over him. He looked at Alaric, his mind reeling. “What do you mean? Your company suffered such a huge loss. Are you really willing to take this hit?”