Chapter 291 Then He Might As Well Die

The matter concerning Livian had reached its conclusion. Now, it was Zachary’s turn to be in the spotlight.

Derek, overwhelmed by a sense of betrayal, had never imagined he could be deceived for so extended a period. The revelation ignited a furious rage within him, and without a moment’s hesitation, he headed straight to Zachary’s residence, accompanied by Madelyn and his assistant.

At that moment, Zachary found himself in a precarious situation, bound tightly to a chair, his limbs secured so firmly that even the slightest wiggle was impossible.

The members of Oceanic Empire, having completed their task of securing Zachary, had removed the sack that covered his head and promptly vacated the premises.

In a cruel attempt to ensure silence, Yannick, before departing, had collected a pile of Zachary’s own unwashed, foul-smelling socks and ordered his subordinates to stuff them into Zachary’s mouth. That night, the stench nearly suffocated Zachary, the indignity of it fueling an unquenchable fury within him.

How could they treat me like this! Who could do this to me? If I discover their identities, I swear I’ll risk everything to cleanse myself of this humiliation.

Just as these thoughts circulated through his mind, the door burst open.

Derek entered with forceful, determined strides. Upon witnessing Zachary in such a degrading state, he withheld any spoken words. Instead, he marched directly to Zachary and, with a single powerful kick, sent him crashing to the ground.

The chair tipped back violently, slamming the back of Zachary’s head against the cold, hard floor, leaving him momentarily stunned and disoriented. Trying to speak, Zachary could only manage muffled noises, his mouth obstructed by the malodorous sock.

Quick to grasp the situation, the assistant sprang into action, fetching two tissues.

With one pressed against his nose, he gingerly removed the sweat-soaked sock from Zachary’s mouth.

As soon as he was free to speak, Zachary gasped for air and exclaimed in a woeful tone, “Derek, what have I done to deserve this? Why did you hit me the moment you entered?”

Derek, still seething with anger, confronted him, “Zachary! You ingrate! After all the trust I placed in you, even giving you control over the company’s finances, is this how you repay me?” His voice grew louder as he threw several account books in front of Zachary. “Look at these! They’re all your handiwork!”

Zachary, eyes wide with shock, recognized the ledgers immediately.

Aren’t these the very accounts I had entrusted to Livian to project? How did they come into Derek’s possession? Did Livian betray me? That d’un bich!

The possibility that Livian had betrayed him sent a fresh wave of fury through his veins. But more pressing than his anger was the need to seek Derek’s forgiveness.

With a heavy heart, Zachary picked himself up, chair in hand, and knelt before Derek, tears streaming down his face. “Derek, I confess my wrongdoing—it was all my fault. Please, I beg for your forgiveness. I momentarily lost my senses.”

“Elevate you, is this how you betray me? And now you have the audacity to ask for my forgiveness? There’s no way I’m letting this go.”

Just then, a gentle voice interrupted from the doorway, “Uncle Zachary!”

It was Regina and Eunice who had just arrived.

Seeing Zachary in such a state, they immediately rushed to untie him. Regina asked directly, “Zachary, are you okay? Who did this to you?”

While Zachary barely acknowledged them, once free, he threw himself at Derek’s feet once more, his voice desperate. “Derek, I truly recognize my mistakes, Please, consider my years of service to the Thornton family and give me another chance!”

“Another chance?”

Madelyn couldn’t help but scoff at his plea. “Zachary, have you not done enough damage during your time with us? Dad always defended you, trusting in your abilities, yet how did you repay that trust? By falsifying accounts and embezzling funds! No wonder the family business has been struggling these past few years. It’s all because of you! We’re lucky we found out when we did. Who knows what state the company would be in if we’d discovered this any later!”

As Madelyn’s accusations escalated, Regina suddenly shouted in anger, “You impudent brat, enough with your accusations!” She then turned to Derek, pleading, “Derek, despite his lack of major achievements, Zachary has worked hard. Please, give him another opportunity to make things right.”

Derek, however, was unyielding. “A betrayal once proves one untrustworthy forever. I’m done discussing this; Zachary is to be dismissed immediately. Cyrus, inform the HR department that we need a new finance manager.”

“Understood,” Cyrus acknowledged with a nod.

Regina, overcome with emotion, seized Derek’s hand, tears streaming down her face. “Derek, please reconsider. Our family has no one else; Zachary is all I have. If you fire him, where will he go? Please, I’m begging you… Give him another chance!”

The plea was met with a sharp slap from Derek, his tone even more furious, “Regina, remember it was you who introduced this ungrateful wretch to our company. I’ve not yet settled that score, and now you dare make demands? Do you want to be ousted from the family?”

Regina shuddered at his words.

As the tension peaked, sirens blared outside, signaling the arrival of the police.

Madelyn’s voice was soft but urgent, “Dad, the police are here.”

The sound triggered a panic in Zachary, who instinctively rushed for the door, only to be blocked by Cyrus. The thought of imprisonment was too much to bear, and the mere idea of enduring such hardship was unthinkable.

Derek is trying to back me into a corner. Why? Why is he doing this to me! Fine, if he’s so insistent on pushing me, then he might as well die!

In a swift motion, Zachary grabbed a fruit knife from the table and, with a blend of fear and determination, he lunged at Derek, aiming directly at his heart. “Derek,” he hissed, “if I can’t live in peace, neither will you.”

The attack was swift and decisive, targeting Derek’s heart with lethal intent.

Since Derek was getting on in years, his reaction speed had slowed considerably, rendering him unable to dodge in time.