Chapter 6
Serena's POV
My father had me join the company to learn. Starting as assistant to the general manager.
Every day following him to meetings, seeing clients, reviewing reports.
In my previous life, I had no interest in business and left everything to Ethan.
He ended up hollowing out the company and left my father in debt.
The finance department submitted a report. I spent an afternoon on it, circling over a dozen issues in red pen.
"Dad, the cash flow for these projects is wrong."
I pushed the report over.
"Officially, it's for raw material procurement. But the funds were routed through three shell companies. All registered to individuals named Chapman."
My father put on his reading glasses. His expression grew stormier with each line.
"These... these were all Ethan's projects."
"Not just those." I opened my laptop and called up another file. "Of the seventeen projects he managed from last year to this year, twelve show irregularities. The total discrepancy... is around eighty million."
The office fell into a deep, heavy silence.
My father took off his glasses, rubbing his temples.
In my previous life, these bad debts gave him a cerebral hemorrhage. He was paralyzed for two years, and finally, hearing on his deathbed that I had died, he passed away.
"Call the police," he said.
"Call the police immediately."
"Wait." I pressed his hand. "If we call the police now, we can't get the money back. Give me a month. I'll get the money back, then send him in."
My father looked at me with a complex expression.
"Serena, when did you... learn all this?"
"Was forced to." I smiled. "Dad, don't worry. This time I won't let anyone bully our family."
I started investigating those three shell companies. The legal representatives were Ethan's distant relatives, but he was the actual controller.
Money left the company accounts, circled through the shell companies a few times, and ended up in his overseas account.
Very old-fashioned tactics, but in my previous life I was too stupid to see it.
Adrian came to find me with a stack of materials.
"Bank statements for these three companies."
He handed me a USB drive.
"Got it through a friend at the bank. Complete chain of evidence."
I plugged in the USB and opened the files.
Dense transfer records, one by one, shocking to see.
"Adrian," I looked up at him.
"Why are you helping me so much?"
He was silent for a while.
"If I said I dreamed you died, would you believe me?"
My fingers trembled.
"What dream?"
"A long dream." His voice was low.
"In the dream you married Ethan and had a terrible life. In the end... you died in a fire. I wanted to save you, but it was too late."
I looked at him. His eyes were very clean, very serious.
"What happened next?"
"Then I woke up. Found you hadn't married yet."
He smiled slightly.
"I thought, this time I can't let you walk that path again."
I couldn't speak. My throat tightened.
"So." He pointed at the USB. "Use these. Send him to prison."
Three days later, the board held an emergency meeting. As assistant to the general manager, I attended.
Ethan came too, sitting next to his father, looking terrible.
My father projected the report on the big screen.
"Everyone, this is the financial audit report for projects Manager Ethan Chapman handled over the past two years. I've marked the problematic areas in red."
The conference room erupted.
Ethan stood up.
"Mr. Williams, this is slander! I demand a re-audit!"
"Fine." I stood up and walked to the projector. "But before the re-audit, let's look at this first."
I inserted the USB drive Adrian gave me.
Overseas bank records. Shell company registrations. Contracts Ethan had forged.
Page after page of irrefutable proof.
Ethan's father collapsed on the spot. The conference room erupted.
Ethan's finger trembled as he pointed at me.
"Serena... you're vicious."
"Not compared to you."
I turned off the projector. "Call the police."
They came and led him away. He looked back once, his eyes like poisoned glass.
I simply smiled and gave a small wave.
Goodbye.
And good riddance.