Chapter 45

Michael’s hatred for Andrew peaked; furious, he watched this pretty boy unravel his meticulously crafted plans. A loud crash shattered the silence—Paul’s glass, followed by the man himself, collapsing to his knees. Desperate cries for mercy filled the room.

“Ms. Rhodes, I’m sorry! Please, give me another chance! I truly regret what I did!”

The other executives, initially stunned, erupted in anger. Accusations flew: “You’re the culprit?” “You traitor!” “You must have lost your mind trying to poison Ms. Rhodes!”

Paul, sobbing, continued, “Ms. Rhodes, I didn’t want to do it… Someone forced me!”

Silence descended as Andrew asked, “Who forced you?”

Paul nervously glanced at Michael, whose already dark expression deepened.

“Tell me who forced you, and I’ll protect you,” Lauren commanded icily.

Andrew added, “Confess everything, reveal your mastermind, and Ms. Rhodes might show mercy.”

Hope flickered in Paul’s fearful eyes as he started to raise his hand, pointing towards Michael.

“You ungrateful bastard! Rhodes Corporation gave you everything, and this is how you repay us? I’ll kill you!” Michael roared, lunging forward before Paul could speak. He grabbed Paul’s hair, violently slamming his head against the table.

Paul’s scream echoed as blood flowed from his wound. Just as Michael prepared to strike again, Andrew intervened, kicking him away. But Paul convulsed violently, foaming at the mouth before collapsing, lifeless.

Francesca rushed to his side, announcing grimly, “He’d already ingested poison. The impact triggered the toxin; he died instantly.”

Michael brushed himself off, cursing, “Well, looks like the coward chose suicide. Good riddance. We found our culprit!”

“Why did you silence him?” Andrew asked coldly.

Michael’s eyes flickered as he smirked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The other executives shifted uncomfortably; even a blind man could see Michael’s suspicious behavior. Yet, he maintained his composure, insisting, “He tried to poison Lauren. He deserved to die. I assume he knew his fate and chose to end things himself.”

Lauren scoffed. “You expect me to believe he committed suicide?”

“I don’t care what you believe. The man is dead and can’t testify, and there’s nothing you can do about it!” Michael retorted, unfazed.

He kicked aside a chair and stormed out. Lauren gritted her teeth in frustration; without evidence, she was powerless.

“Oh, Mr. Rhodes,” Andrew called out, “I forgot to mention—none of the water was actually poisoned!”

At the doorway, Michael’s face contorted in fury, his chest burning with rage. He’d fallen into Andrew’s trap, but all he could do was swallow his anger and leave.