Chapter 5 The bulletproof glass of the SUV shut out the cold outside , yet I still felt chilled to the bone . It was the kind of cold that seeped from swamp mud into marrow - the kind that rose from the heart after being betrayed by those you trusted most . Maverick crouched beside me , holding a warm damp towel , carefully wiping the blood - streaked mud from my arms . " Your grandfather is waiting at the manor . He's already had the kitchen prepare hot ginger tea . " His voice was low , avoiding the security personnel in the front seats . " He just sent three voice messages - all asking how badly you were hurt . He wanted to come pick you up himself , but I convinced him otherwise . You need quiet right now , not to be surrounded by people . " I hummed in acknowledgment , gaze fixed on the window . Tree shadows in the wilderness flew past in reverse , much like the details I'd overlooked these past five years . Zander's deliberate silence every time he received anonymous funding The fleeting triumph in Clover's eyes when she brought him flawed documents to sign . And the coldness that washed over his face every time I suggested he keep his distance from Clover . Moments I'd once dismissed as minor tempers or small misunderstandings now strung together revealed an elaborately woven trap . Nausea churned violently in my stomach . I gripped the vomit bag Maverick handed me , knuckles white . My physiological germaphobia made the lingering stench of mud unbearable , but the psychological disgust was suffocating . I'd given my whole heart to these two people for five years . To spare Zander any pressure , I'd even deliberately hidden my identity , playing the role of a fallen heiress who needed him to succeed . My voice came out hoarse , squeezed from my throat . " Five years . " " I was a fool , offering my sincerity on a platter , letting them trample it like trash . " Maverick's hand paused mid - wipe . When he looked up , his eyes held rare softness . " It's not that you were foolish . It's that you valued sincerity too much . " " Zander and Clover were after your value from the start . They never saw your heart " He set the towel aside and pulled a tablet from his briefcase . Unlocking it , he placed it before me . Chapter 5 The legal team worked through the night on this . Take a look - Clover's embezzlement from Brightvale Industries , forged project contracts to siphon funds - it's all documented. " My fingertip scrolled across the screen . Clover's criminal record unfolded line by line . Under the guise of expanding Zander's business , she'd transferred company funds into her shell corporations . She deliberately left errors in project documents , then demanded kickbacks under the pretense of fixing them . Even those obvious mistakes I'd pointed out before - all deliberately planted traps . Waiting for me to raise them so Zander would think I was jealous and nitpicking . I muttered a curse under my breath - not at Clover , but at myself . " Idiot . " I'd noticed those errors were too deliberate back then , but Zander's dismissive " You just can't stand seeing Clover succeed " made me drop it . Now I realized - he wasn't protecting a friend . Clover had bewitched him completely , stripping him of even basic judgment . Maverick opened another folder - Brightvale Industries financial report . The red deficits glared like thorns . The company appeared to have landed major projects , but they were all shell collaborations Clover orchestrated . Not only did they earn nothing - they owed suppliers massive debts More absurdly , Zander thought he was on the verge of joining the elite , bragging to me daily about new company earnings . He had no idea the career he was so proud of had long been hollowed out by Clover . The legal team has drafted divorce papers and criminal complaints . " Maverick's voice pulled me back . The divorce agreement clearly states that Zander conspired with Clover during the marriage to embezzle your personal assets and is suspected of intentional harm . You're entitled to leave him with nothing . " ' On the criminal side , the evidence chain is complete . Dark web livestream footage , helicopter recordings , physical evidence from the swamp - enough to put them away for years . " I set down the tablet , leaned back against the headrest , and closed my eyes . Grandfather's face suddenly flashed through my mind . Five years ago when I told him I wanted to try ordinary love , he frowned but didn't object - only said to protect myself , and that I could always come home if things went wrong . I'd laughed then and assured him I could handle it Now I had to make him worry . My eyes snapped open , all confusion replaced by icy fury . Chapter 3 " Notify the media . " Tomorrow morning , ten o'clock . Lowell Corporation headquarters press hall . We're holding a press conference . " Maverick froze momentarily , then quickly nodded . Understood . I'll have PR prepare immediately . " The SUV slowly entered the city , streetlights casting flickering shadows across my face . Maverick glanced at my tense profile but said nothing more , quietly pulling out his phone to contact PR and legal . The manor gates opened slowly . The butler and staff stood waiting at the entrance with clean clothes and hot towels . took a deep breath and pushed open the car door . Five years . inally , I no longer needed to pretend . inally , I could walk proudly as the heir to Lowell Corporation . And those who hurt me would soon learn what it meant to regret Chapter 6 Chapter 6