Seraphina swallowed hard but forced herself to keep talking.

"Andrew and Zara were behind Lyvana’s kidnapping," she repeated. "It was all a setup. They used Lyvana to lure Julian to the port so they could kill him."

Eleanor gasped softly from the sofa, but the Chairman’s face stayed completely frozen.

"And how exactly do you know this?"

​Seraphina hesitated. She knew there was no going back after this.

"I know because, I helped them."

​The Chairman stared at her, his eyes cutting through her like knives.

​"Why should I believe you?" he asked.

​"Because I have proof," she said, quickly removing a pen drive from her purse. "Messages. Bank transfers. Voice recordings. It’s all right here."

The Chairman’s eyes narrowed, staring at the small plastic drive in Seraphina’s hand as if it were a loaded weapon. He didn’t reach for it. Instead, he gestured sharply to Edward, who stepped forward from the shadows of the doorway to take the drive from her fingers.

​"If this is a game," the Chairman warned, "you won’t live long enough to regret playing it."

​"It’s not a game," Seraphina said. "Just check the files."

The Chairman studied her for another long moment. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Then he slowly lifted his hand and motioned toward the guards standing near the doorway.

"Take her downstairs," he ordered calmly. "Lock her up until I verify every word she just said."

Seraphina’s face instantly went pale.

Before she could protest, the guards grabbed her arms and escorted her out of the living room.

Eleanor slowly turned toward the Chairman, horror written all over her face.

"Do you believe her?" she asked quietly.

The Chairman didn’t answer right away. He stared straight ahead, his hands clenching into tight fists. A deep, burning anger flashed in his eyes.

​For years, he thought he knew Zara. He knew she was ambitious and bitter, but this was different. To discover that she had plotted to kidnap Lyvana was bad enough, but to realize she had actually tried to kill his son, Julian, cut him to the core. After everything she had already put him through in the past, this was the ultimate betrayal.

Then finally, he spoke.

"I believe," he said slowly, "that no woman walks into this house confessing to conspiracy and attempted murder unless she’s either desperate... or telling the truth."

​The next morning, the evidence she presented was analyzed by their top digital forensic experts.

By 8:00 AM, a thick black binder sat on the desk in front of the Chairman, alongside a tablet ready to play the audio files.

​The bank transfers were traced directly to an offshore account owned by Zara Thorne. The messages contained detailed timelines, coordination with the hired mercenaries, and explicit instructions on how to handle Lyvana.

But it was the audio file that broke the chairman. Zara’s distinct voice, clear and arrogant, discussing the port setup and how Julian would never make it out alive.

​The Chairman closed the binder with a dull thud. The truth was undeniable. Zara’s betrayal run deeper than he realized.

He sat in silence for a long moment after the recording ended.

Then slowly, he looked up at Edward.

"Julian knew about this?"

Edward hesitated carefully before answering.

"Young Master suspected them for some time, sir," he admitted. "But he didn’t have enough proof yet. He wanted confirmation before making any accusations."

The Chairman’s expression darkened.

"And nobody thought to inform me?"

"No one wanted to make a mistake involving Madam Zara, without evidence," Edward replied cautiously.

The Chairman slowly leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping once against the whiskey glass.

Then he let out a cold, humorless laugh. "I have been fooled. Henry."

Henry stepped forward immediately. "Yes, sir."

"Tell Julian the leash is off."

Henry remained silent.

"He is free to deal with them however he wants," the Chairman continued coldly.

Henry nodded once. "Understood, sir."

Without another word, he turned and left the study, already reaching for his phone. Edward quietly followed behind him, leaving the Chairman alone.

How could Zara do this to me? His jaw tightened painfully at the thought.

People don’t change overnight. They simply stop hiding who they truly are.

"Damn you, Zara."

Meanwhile in a cozy little apartment at the outskirts of town, Zara was already panicking.

"Are you crazy?" Zara snapped, walking towards Andrew in disbelief. "Didn’t you hear what I just said? They’re onto me."

She ran a trembling hand through her hair, breathing unevenly.

"They’re looking for me already. That lover of yours must have talked."

Andrew’s expression darkened instantly.

"Seraphina wouldn’t betray me."

Zara let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"Oh really? Then why is the chairman suddenly moving against us?" she shot back. "Why do you think my accounts are being watched?"

Her voice cracked slightly under the pressure building inside her.

"We are running out of time, Andrew."

Andrew frowned immediately. "Wait... how do you even know all this?"

"I still have people inside the empire," she said quietly. "Not everyone stopped answering my calls. The Chairman knows about the port. He knows about Lyvana. And Julian."

"You need to leave the city first. Lay low somewhere until things calm down. Then we figure out the next move."

"I can’t go anywhere while you are here."

Andrew stared at her for a moment.

"Why do you even care what happens to me?" he asked. "I’m not even your son."

Something flickered across Zara’s face.

"Love doesn’t disappear overnight, Andrew. Just because I didn’t give birth to you doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you. I’ve loved you for years. That won’t suddenly change."

Andrew’s expression tightened slightly at her words. "I understand your fears," Andrew said quietly. "But I’m not leaving without Lyvana. Tomorrow is the engagement party. It’s my only chance to get to her."

Zara stepped closer, lowering her voice.

"You may not care about your life," she whispered, "but I still don’t want to watch you die. Because if you go after that girl again, her boyfriend is going to put a bullet in your head."

"I’m not scared of him."

"You should be."

"Well, I’m not. You know why? Because I already know exactly how he is going to die."

"What do you mean by that?"

Andrew looked at her for a long moment.