Chapter 956

“Fine. Then go dig into it quietly. Find out exactly what Joseph Hunt did.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes.

That kind of nerve, to lay a hand on someone belonging to him.

The man clearly had a death wish.

“Also…”

Desmond had just turned to leave when he heard the rest.

“You may be allowed to make up for it, but you did mess up. Are you willing to accept punishment?”

Lucas’ voice was cool but firm.

Desmond nodded. “I accept. I know I’m at fault.”

Lucas gave a slight nod. “Good. Then forfeit half a year’s salary.”

Not demoting him was already the greatest mercy he could offer.

Desmond looked up sharply, eyes misting over.

He never expected that after making such a serious mistake, Lucas would let it slide without saying much.

It really did seem like he’d changed.

Desmond gave a sincere reply, then turned and hurried out to handle what Lucas had just instructed.

Lucas watched the door close, then raised his hand to rub his temples before turning his attention back to the files on his desk.

Over the past month, while he’d been away, countless projects had piled up at the company.

Many of them needed his direct input.

Without his signature, they couldn’t move forward.

And Joseph? He wanted in on Vanguard’s project?

A cold smirk tugged at Lucas’ lips.

He loosened his tie.

What a joke.

His company wasn’t something any trash could latch onto.

Someone like Joseph really needed a reality check.

Chapter 956 +15 BONUS

With that thought, Lucas went back to the stack of project files, carefully reviewing them to see if anyone had tried sneaking people into the project teams.

He wouldn’t tolerate any of it.

Ravenshore Police Department.

Tessa and Julian were locked in the same holding cell.

Julian’s hair had gone unkempt, turning messy in no time.

Tessa, on the other hand, was someone who kept herself clean–borderline obsessive.

She insisted on showering once a day.

At first, the station allowed it, but eventually it became too much trouble.

In the end, they just cut her off completely.

Tessa started yelling, “What’s the meaning of this? Who decided we’re not allowed to shower anymore?”

She couldn’t stand the stench on her own body, not even for a moment.

One of the officers snapped, “This is a police station, not your personal spa. No one’s here to cater to your princess attitude. The guy next to you hasn’t showered in days and he’s not throwing a fit like you.”

His tone was sharp and irritated.

Tessa’s voice had a naturally grating quality to it–harsh and shrill, like a raspy duck trying to speak.

The moment she opened her mouth, it made the officer even more annoyed, especially when she argued–she sounded like a whole flock of ducks quacking in his face.

Eventually, the officer lost his patience and banged the cell door with a baton, making a loud clang.

Tessa screamed in fright and finally backed down, crouching on the floor.

Julian, meanwhile, remained completely detached, like a stranger with no stake in anything.

He just sat there watching–completely still.

Only then did a sense of fear start to sink in for Tessa.

Had she been wrong to keep refusing to cooperate with the police?

Her time here was growing more unbearable by the day.

Every minute she spent in this place felt like torture.