Chapter 52

Vespera’s expression shifted slightly. Suppressing her growing frustration, she kept her composure and asked, “Why did he lock the door? Does my question…” She paused, pacing around the room. “Require confidentiality?”

Derek quickly forced a laugh. “No, no, Ms. Gildon, please don’t misunderstand. Mr. Westwood didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… well, this isn’t something we typically discuss openly.”

“So there’s a note to this story?”

“Indeed, Ms. Gildon. You may not be aware, but the names you mentioned belong to a married couple—some of the factory’s earliest employees. Unfortunately, they were injured in a workplace accident and became permanently disabled, no longer able to work. To avoid any further issues, we reached an agreement with them and provided financial compensation. Interestingly, though, the couple had one condition—they wanted to remain on the payroll and continue receiving salaries for fifteen years, even though they were no longer working.”

An elaborate story indeed. This arrangement…

Vespera pursed her lips, taking a moment to process the information. She played along, furrowing her brow slightly as she nodded. “I see, but why hasn’t this been reported to headquarters?”

Derek sighed. “The executives in their offices don’t understand the realities of factory workers. If this were to come out, many people would be implicated. Finding a stable job isn’t easy, Ms. Gildon. Besides, whether the compensation is paid in a lump sum or installments, in the end, it doesn’t make much difference.”

“Mr. Chavez, I can understand on a personal level. But professionally? This completely disregards company regulations and procedures,” Vespera replied. She continued, “And look at the result—because of how this was handled, employees are now convinced the factory is haunted. That’s hardly ideal, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, yes, we know it’s not by the book. That’s exactly why we wanted to discuss it with you, Ms. Gildon. We were hoping you’d be willing to overlook it, just this once. It’s such a minor issue—there’s really no need to trouble Mr. Reid with it. He’s got a whole corporation to run, and it would be inconsiderate to burden him with something so…”

Vespera let the silence linger, pretending to give his words thoughtful consideration. After a moment, she finally spoke. “Alright. But I want to meet this so-called disabled couple myself and verify their situation. If everything checks out, I’ll let it go.”

Derek hesitated, momentarily caught off guard. “Understood. No problem.”

By 5:00 pm, the summit was over, and Dominic attended a dinner reception hosted by the event organizers. He returned to the hotel around 8:00 pm. With a video conference scheduled later, he planned to take a brief rest before preparing…

All of a sudden, Gerard hurried in, looking visibly anxious. “Vespera still hasn’t come back, and I can’t reach her on the phone.”

Dominic frowned, his hand stopping just before he opened his laptop. “You haven’t heard from her all day?”

“No. We agreed last night she would call if anything came up, but she hasn’t. I thought she was already back by now.”

“Call the factory. Find out where she is.”

Gerard quickly made the call, but when he hung up, his face was clouded with worry. “They said she left around 1:00 pm. Even if she stopped somewhere, she should’ve been back by now.”

Dominic’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing with growing concern. He quickly canceled the evening’s video conference and instructed Blake Green, the assistant general manager overseeing the factory, to join him. At the same time, he ordered the factory staff to retrieve the surveillance footage and initiate a search of the surrounding areas. Upon hearing the news, Nancy insisted on coming along.

As Dominic and Gerard exited the hotel, a man in a dark blue shirt stormed toward them, his face tight with anger. A few others trailed behind him. Absorbed in checking his watch, Dominic didn’t notice them right away.

But Gerard did. His instincts kicked in, and he immediately stepped forward to block Dominic’s path. “Mr. Munoz is…”

At the sound of the words, Dominic finally raised his eyes. The two men’s stares collided in the dimly lit night.

“Where is my wife?” Luke’s body was tense, every muscle coiled like a predator poised to attack.

“She’s gone,” Dominic’s face remained stoic as he delivered the chilling words.