Chapter 289

"Mr. Hendrix?" Even Darwin was incredulous. Nicolas had desired Thea for years before finally regaining her, yet now he chose to ignore her crisis.

He added, "Mrs. Hendrix is facing a crisis. If you ignore her now, I'm afraid you'll have no chance to make amends."

Nicolas chuckled at Darwin's cautious reminder. "You don't know her. She didn't ask for help; she already has a solution. We just need to wait and intervene only if she requires it."

Thea, Sparkle Rocks' CEO, knew that relying on others would undermine her authority. More than half the mine had collapsed; from a distance, it looked as if even the sky was falling.

She asked the police for a hard hat, but Joyce intervened. "Thea, don't be reckless. No offense, but you're untrained. Even if you found them, you wouldn't have the strength to pull them out. Jamie said the mine might collapse further."

Joyce wouldn't let Thea risk her life.

Thea shook her head. "I'm not going into the mine." As Joyce said, she'd only hinder the rescue.

"I'm trying to figure this out," Thea said, vaguely gesturing toward the back of the mountain. This was a trap, costing dozens of lives. Failure to expose it could land her in prison—a fate she desperately wanted to avoid.

"Are you saying the collapse wasn't an accident? That it was sabotage?" Joyce, terrified, broke into a cold sweat. If so, how much did the mastermind hate Thea? It was a monstrous act.

The wind whipped Thea's face, but she wouldn't retreat. "Smell it. The gunpowder smell hasn't dissipated."

Joyce strained to detect it and finally smelled something unusual.

"This is our best chance. If we wait until the rescue ends, they'll have erased the evidence. The mountain is dangerous, but I have to go"—personally. She dared not trust anyone else; this was her only chance to clear her name. She refused to be branded a heartless entrepreneur or imprisoned.

Joyce's heart sank, but she knew this meant everything to Thea. "I'll go with you."

Thea didn't refuse.

As they approached the mountain, a taunting voice cut through the air. "Thea, where are you going? Trying to escape? How could our family have such a despicable daughter?"

The cordon kept out reporters, but not Duncan. He strolled casually, turning the scene of carnage into his personal spectacle. Thea's heart froze.

Emmalie followed, worry etched on her face. "Thea, I know you're hurting, but we must maintain our integrity instead of running. We'll always be here for you."

Now she's playing the good sister again. Thea thought.

Had Emmalie's glowing phone not been visible in her pocket, Thea might have fallen for the act. Instead, Thea showed her disgust openly. "Miss Rowland, bad guys hide in the dark, don't they? So what are you doing here?"

Thea's suspicions deepened. The attempt to stop her from investigating the mountain immediately after she'd suggested sabotage felt far too coincidental. "What are you afraid of? Are you trying to cover up your crime?"

Her brow was cold; she had no time for theatrics. She strongly suspected they were buying time to destroy evidence.

Emmalie shook her head in disbelief. "Thea, how could you suspect your family? You broke the law by scheduling night operations and increasing the workforce to meet the order. It's no surprise there was an accident. Surrender; the police might be lenient."

Under the night sky, Thea saw the gloating hidden in Emmalie's sincerity. After this, Thea would be ruined, leaving Emmalie as the sole heir.

"Emmalie, believe me, any more nonsense and I'll tear your mouth out! I'll say it again: Sparkle Rocks operates legally. We passed all official safety inspections." Thea enunciated each word. As she finished, Emmalie's livestream exploded with comments.

Emmalie had attracted a huge audience under the guise of clearing Thea's name, and now, netizens were attacking Thea.

[I heard the Rowland family's eldest daughter is domineering. I didn't believe it, but now… she's evil.] [Emmalie was so considerate, and Thea didn't appreciate it. She deserves prison.] [Am I the only one who thinks Thea found something and doesn't want to run? She's still wearing a hard hat. Maybe she's investigating.]

The lone supportive comment was quickly drowned out. Regardless of her attire, Thea remained strikingly beautiful, even in a hard hat.

Timing her perfectly, Emmalie ended the livestream. She stepped aside. "Since you don't believe me, go. Let's see how you defend yourself."

Emmalie's smile was sinister. As she passed, Thea heard her gentle tone distort into something cruel. "Thea, no one can save you this time. Everything you have will be mine!"

Thea's suspicions solidified into certainty. She stopped, studying the twisted face before her. This was the first time she truly saw Emmalie. The flickering light revealed Emmalie's dark heart beneath her pure exterior. The next second, a loud slap landed on Thea's face.

Duncan erupted in fury. "What are you doing? Thea, are you suicidal?"

Over his roar, Thea's icy voice cut through the night. "If I find out you did this, then I want to die. You killed so many to ruin me. Aren't you afraid their souls will haunt you?"