Chapter 28
On the executive floor, there used to be only two offices–one for the CEO and one for the secretary. But ever since Briar barged her way in Mathan had become the acting CEO of the Jennings Group.
Edgar, the vice president, had no choice but to give up the CEO’s office and move into the smaller room next door.
Even so, Edgar hadn’t completely fallen out with Briar. That level of restraint actually impressed her a little. But more than that, it convinced her there had to be something inside the company that forced Edgar to swallow his pride and hold back.
Stepping out of the elevator, Briar slipped quickly into Edgar’s office. Once the door was shut behind her, she restored the surveillance signal in the hallway and inside the room.
Edgar had just moved into this office, so aside from his original desk, everything else had been newly furnished by the logistics department
So, if Edgar was hiding anything in here, the only possible hiding place was the desk.
Briar turned on her flashlight, walked over to the desk, and pulled a pair of medical gloves from her pocket. After slipping them on, she started her search.
She went over every inch with care, not leaving out a single suspicious spot–not even the shredder next to the desk. But nothing turned up.
The surface of the desk was spotless, with not a single item unrelated to work.
Then Briar’s eyes drifted to the drawers, each secured with a different kind of high–grade custom lock.
Holding the flashlight in her mouth, Briar took out a thin wire and quickly picked the first lock. The drawer popped open to reveal a stack of technical documents belonging to the company’s upper management–confidential stuff.
The second drawer was more mixed: contracts, reports, and several handwritten ledgers.
Briar picked up one of the ledgers and flipped through a few pages. It recorded various household expenses for the Jennings family, none of them particularly large.
Especially those related to Halle and Beatrice–every expense, big or small, was meticulously listed. Tens of thousands or just a few bucks–every page had matching receipts and invoices attached.
Briar frowned. ‘Seriously? Edgar’s been married to Halle for years, and he still guards her like she’s a thief? If Halle ever finds out about this, she’d probably cry her eyes out.
‘After all those years as his mistress, giving him kids, acting like the perfect wife at home and a submissive shadow in public… And in the end, the only
one she moved is herself?‘
But that had nothing to do with Briar. Honestly, she hoped Edgar and Halle would tear each other apart. She’d just sit back and reap the rewards.
The third drawer felt almost weightless when she pulled it open. But when she saw what was inside, her expression finally shifted.
There was only one thing in the drawer–a dated old phone, the kind of model phased out years ago, typically used by seniors. But judging by how new it looked, it hadn’t seen much use.
Briar thought, ‘An old phone like that, barely touched, yet locked up in the bottom drawer with the most secure lock of the three?‘
Without hesitation, Briar cracked the password and began digging through the phone. Unfortunately, the limited storage didn’t yield much..
What did catch her eye, though, was a single contact saved in the phone-“Mr. Garza.”
‘Mr. Garza?‘ Briar combed through every known connection the Jennings family had but couldn’t recall anyone with that last name.
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Chapter 28
However, checking the call logs showed that this contact had been in touch with Edgar for at least five years.
Briar thought, ‘Five years ago? That’s a very interesting point in time.
‘Five years ago, Tristan had been hunted down and forced to flee abroad. Five years ago, I met my connections in the underground and joined the organization.
‘Five years ago, Grandpa had suddenly changed the Grant family’s will and the designated heir.
And five years ago was when I’d first uncovered some hidden truths about Mom’s death.
Briar placed the phone back exactly as she’d found it, her face now covered in a layer of cold frost, a flicker of murderous intent flashing in her eyes.
‘Edgar, you better pray I don’t find out Mom’s death was your doing. If I do, I swear I’ll make you suffer a thousand times worse than what she went through,’ Briar thought.
Briar did another sweep of the office to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Once everything was back in place, she closed the door without making a
sound.
This time, instead of taking the elevator, she climbed out through the break room window. Her movements were agile and fast.
Two minutes later, she was riding off on her motorbike. The window she’d slipped out of remained slightly open, as if no one had ever been there.
With rage still burning in her chest, sleep was out of the question. Briar ended up wandering into a lively bar.
Dressed in black from head to toe, her sharp features framed by a black baseball cap, Briar drew every eye the second she walked in. Her presence was commanding, her look striking and effortlessly cool.
But Briar ignored all the stares, brushing past a few sleazy guys who tried to catch her attention by walking too close. Without sparing them a glance, she headed straight for the bar and ordered a Bloody Mary.
Sitting there in the dim, flickering lights, Briar leaned one arm on the bar and sipped her drink slowly with the other. When she tilted her head back to drink, the curve of her pale neck and jawline was absolutely captivating.
Just her sitting there was a picture–unbothered and impossibly alluring.
Even the people dancing wildly in the middle of the dance floor couldn’t compete with the lone beauty drinking quietly by the bar. One by one, more and more eyes turned Briar way. Bold and greedy stares began to gather around her, unashamed and obvious.
Briar kept swirling her drink slowly, the irritation and chill in her eyes hidden under the flashing lights. After downing two drinks in a row, the fire in her chest was barely under control.
She was about to order a third when two spoiled rich boys in flashy outfits shoved the person next to her aside and took the seats on either side of her. Their smirks made it clear they weren’t here for friendly conversation.
The man asked, “Hey gorgeous, hear all by yourself? Late night drinking alone isn’t safe, you know. How about we take you home?”
Briar didn’t respond. Didn’t even look up.
Another man continued, “Sweetheart, how about we get you a penthouse suite instead? We’ll keep you company. Or maybe take you for a ride up mountains?”
‘Annoying.’ Briar’s cold, sharp eyes narrowed, a faint, dangerous smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She finally gave them a glance. ‘God, they’re hideous. Even laying a finger on them would feel like dirtying myself.‘
Her gaze turned icy, as deep and cold as a frozen lake. Without moving, Briar let the word roll off her lips–chilled and biting. “Get out!”
But to the two rich kids, was like watching a spoiled Persian cat puff up in anger–adorable and tempting.
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Chapter 281
“Oh, bio, she told us to leave Think she meant to sleep with us?”
“Damn! Babe, how’d you know that’s exactly what I wanted?”
One of them laughed and reached out to touch her face, which had been faintly flusfied with alcohol
AD
