Chapter 28

"The recording is real." Vivian Lancaster's voice cut through the courtroom with chilling clarity. "I framed Ryan Gallagher deliberately to help Ethan Winslow."

The room erupted in chaos.

The live stream exploded with activity, the comment section flooding with curses aimed at Vivian and Ethan.

"Die, you bitch!"

"Filthy snakes!"

Ethan suddenly lunged at Vivian, eyes bloodshot. "You traitorous whore!" But the bailiffs slammed him to the ground, his face pressed against the cold floor.

Vivian walked slowly toward me, her voice barely above a whisper. "How did you know beforehand?"

My expression remained unreadable as I revealed the truth.

After leaving her, a friend had stumbled upon their scheme by chance. The day I went to fix her plumbing, I had already prepared for this moment.

"We were planning to acquire your company anyway," I murmured. "I just didn’t expect you to hand it to us."

Vivian listened—then laughed.

The sound sent a shiver down my spine.

In a flash, I caught the glint of steel in her sleeve.

"Look out!" I shouted.

Too late.

Vivian moved faster than thought. The blade flashed—and Ethan collapsed, blood gushing from his throat, his eyes wide with shock.

"Restrain her!" The bailiffs rushed forward.

But Vivian had already slit her own wrist.

Crimson soaked her white dress. Before she fell, she mouthed two words at me:

"One last favor."

Sirens wailed through the courthouse.

Ethan was pronounced dead on the scene. Vivian survived—but lost the child she was carrying.

On sentencing day, the sun shone brightly.

Vivian stood in prison garb, listening calmly as the judge delivered the death penalty.

My friend abandoned the acquisition plan. "You were right," he admitted. "This method was too dirty."

A month later, Vivian’s lawyer found me.

"She left you everything."

I stood atop Lancaster Tower, gazing over the city.

Later, it became the headquarters of a unique investigative firm. We specialized in clearing the names of ordinary people wronged by industry blacklists.

Our fees were low—affordable even for the smallest businesses.

The wind tugged at my coat.

A new life had begun.