Chapter 4: Cover-Up

Hannah hadn't anticipated Alexander's public embarrassment, and her face paled. She pursed her lips, looking aggrieved and pitiful as she cast a resentful glance at Alexander, accusing him silently of being a heartbreaker.

Joseph, livid on his beloved's behalf, exploded. "You're really going this far? This is an insult to Ms. Gates' dignity!"

Alexander's icy demeanor and frosty gaze only fueled Joseph's anger. He snapped, "If you can't find any evidence, you owe Ms. Gates an apology."

The others remained silent, but their expressions betrayed their discontent. The incident had already drawn a crowd of executives, all drawn to the spectacle.

Hannah was a highly skilled employee, vital to the company. Many believed Alexander had lost his mind; everyone knew he could manage without his troublesome, worthless wife, Isabella, but not without Hannah.

Isabella, however, suspected the onlookers were there for the gossip, their curious gazes betraying their interest. After all, one woman involved was Alexander's wife, and the other was Hannah, who had worked under Alexander for some time despite his known aversion to women. The crowd was likely placing bets on the outcome.

Isabella, usually a mere observer, found herself the center of attention. Turns out I'm the joker in this story! she thought.

With a resentful glare, Isabella stared at Alexander's back. He stood tall and straight, seemingly oblivious to her, but secretly annoyed by her constant nagging. Has she always been like this? he wondered.

Soon, the investigation results were revealed: no suspicion whatsoever.

Triumphantly, Joseph asked, "Well? Alexander, are you still planning to cover up for Isabella?"

Alexander felt Isabella's gaze burning into him.

Hannah pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears, "Mr. Alexander, now do you believe me?"

Alexander briefly glanced at his phone, then met Hannah's gaze. An inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over Hannah.

Everyone assumed the matter was settled, but Alexander surprised them by turning to a large screen behind him, ignoring Hannah completely.

Following his gaze, they saw new surveillance footage—of Hannah entering Joseph's office.

Confusion rippled through the room. What an unexpected twist!

Hannah's expression was the only one that changed. A chill ran down her spine as her pupils constricted in dread.

Joseph pointed at the screen. "Alexander, what are you doing? Why are you showing Ms. Gates delivering documents?"

Alexander remained impassive, watching the video with a cold gaze.

Hector, meanwhile, felt a mix of emotions as he saw the timestamp on the footage. His face paled as he saw his son leave the office, leaving Hannah behind. Soon, Hannah left, and Joseph returned cheerfully with a fruit platter, throwing a tantrum when he didn't see Hannah.

Then, a screen recording of someone using a computer appeared on the screen. The desktop wallpaper was a picture of Hannah.

The onlookers glanced at Joseph; Hector was furious.

Joseph, livid with embarrassment, stomped his foot. "Alexander, did you send someone to mess with my computer?"

Indeed, a technician had cracked Joseph's password, recovering deleted emails.

Immediately after Joseph's outburst, Hannah stumbled, nearly losing her balance. Joseph, concerned, didn't notice, but Hector struggled to control his rage.

Many grasped the possibility. A heavy silence fell; the only sound was the quiet thump of hearts.

The recovered email, containing the confidential files, zoomed in on the send time. The onlookers compared it to the surveillance footage timestamp.

Almost everyone saw the truth, except for one person.

Joseph stared at the screen before erupting. "You've lost your mind! You fabricated this to slander Ms. Gates and cover for Isabella!"

Before he finished, Hector smacked him on the head. Joseph fell to the ground, crying out, "Dad!"

Hector silenced him. "Shut up!" He then addressed Alexander and the executives. "You all saw it. My son had nothing to do with this! He was used! He's an idiot!"

He had to clear his son's name, lest Joseph be implicated in a conspiracy with Hannah.

Hector continued, "Ms. Gates, you're evil! You used my son and framed Mrs. Quirk! What did Mr. Alexander do to deserve this betrayal?"

All eyes fell on Hannah. Shock, disbelief, and fury filled the room. The CEO's assistants, who had previously defended Hannah, were mortified.

Given Mr. Alexander’s temperament, he’d undoubtedly fire us. Ms. Gates has doomed us all! they thought, remaining silent.

Hannah’s face was ashen; she trembled, her breathing shallow. Desperately, she looked at Alexander. "Alexander, I didn't—"

Alexander delivered the final blow. "Ms. Palmer is your cousin's wife, isn't she? You colluded with her to frame Isabella."

Gasps filled the room.

Hannah was devastated. "How did you… Don't tell me you knew all along…"

The onlookers stared at Alexander in shock.

Isabella, dazed since the video played, was surprised by Alexander's perceptiveness. Only when Winona was mentioned did she snap out of it. Does Alexander know Winona’s identity? Is that why he suspected Ms. Gates? But how did Joseph get involved?

Hector, too, wondered about his son's involvement.

Alexander glanced at Isabella. I can’t tell them I found out from Isabella’s inner thoughts, he thought. He continued, "Let's set that aside. Once you're a suspect, we'll examine every piece of surveillance footage and electronic device you've used."

Hannah hadn't deleted the incriminating footage—a flaw Isabella had pointed out.